Abstract
The transformation of micropits on large terraces of the Si(111) surface containing no vicinal atomic steps has been investigated by in situ ultrahigh-vacuum reflection electron microscopy upon thermal annealing of the substrate in the range of 1200–1400°C. A procedure for the formation of micropits on large terraces of the Si(111) surface with the application of focused-ion-beam (Ga+) technology has been proposed. It has been found that the micropit decay kinetics varies upon reaching the critical radius Rcrit, which is caused by the activation of nucleation of two-dimensional vacancy islands on the micropit bottom. A theoretical model describing variations in the lateral sizes of the micropit both before and after reaching Rcrit has been proposed. Based on analysis of the found temperature dependence of the nucleation frequencies of two-dimensional vacancy pits on the micropit bottom, the effective energy of nucleation of a vacancy island has been determined to be 4.1 ± 0.1 eV.
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