ePrints

Static and dynamic buckling of reconstructions at triple steps on Si(111) surfaces

Lookup NU author(s): Dr Jose Coutinho, Dr Mark Rayson, Professor Patrick Briddon

Downloads

Full text for this publication is not currently held within this repository. Alternative links are provided below where available.

Abstract

Triple steps on Si(111) surfaces are popular building blocks for bottom-up nanostructure assembly, conferring size uniformity and precise positioning of growing nanostructures. In this work, we employ the Si(7 7 10) regular stepped surface as model system to study the triple steps by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and large-scale first-principles calculations. We find a surprising cohabitation of reconstruction elements at the step edge that either buckles statically or dynamically at room temperature. The driving force for the observed sequence of buckling patterns is traced back to Coulomb interactions involving charged adatoms and rest-atoms lying on a miniterrace. These results reconcile the Si(111) triple step model with the experimental STM data. (C) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC.

Publication metadata

Author(s): Zhachuk R, Teys S, Coutinho J, Rayson MJ, Briddon PR

Publication type: Article

Publication status: Published

Journal: Applied Physics Letters

Year: 2014

Volume: 105

Issue: 17

Print publication date: 27/10/2014

Online publication date: 29/10/2014

Acceptance date: 19/10/2014

ISSN (print): 0003-6951

ISSN (electronic): 1077-3118

Publisher: American Institute of Physics

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4900783

DOI: 10.1063/1.4900783

Altmetrics

Funding

Share