Gold-induced ordering on vicinal Si(111)

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A vicinal Si(111) surface covered with a sub-monolayer amount of Au has been studied by RHEED. For a sample misoriented by 8.46° towards the [1̄1̄2] azimuthal direction at a coverage equal to 0.20 ML of Au, the RHEED pattern showed a regular distribution of monoatomic steps with the staircase width equal to 18.88 ± 0.33 A ̊ . Au-induced order was identified with a (755) facet of Si. Regularly spaced steps were stable within the investigated range of temperatures from 130 to 470 K. Upon further increase of the Au-coverage the periodicity was disturbed and at a coverage of about 0.50 ML of Au onset of (√3 × √3)R37° reconstruction was visible.