Abstract
The velocity of monoatomic step motion in the neighborhood of a bunch has been measured in situ using a UHV electron microscope. The width of step bunches at different temperatures and the intrinsic time that lead to step bunching have also been determined. Direct and alternating current were used to heat the Silicon(111) between 1000°C and 1300°C. The results show that the diffusion regime prevails. The asymmetry of the surface diffusion of adatoms is proved experimentally. It is consistent with the adatom electromigration effects. The surface diffusion field under the influence of an electric current can induce an attractive force between the steps. This force balances the step-step repulsive interactions (entropic and energetic) inside the bunch and stabilizes its width. The effective charge on the adatom has been estimated from the critical frequency of AC when the step bunching does not operate. It is around 0.001 electron.
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