LEED studies of clean high Miller index surfaces of silicon

Abstract

Clean high Miller index surfaces of silicon were studied by LEED at different temperatures. Three types of surfaces were observed depending on orientation: flat surfaces, stepped ones with the (100) and (111) terraces and with the step heights of one or two interplanar distances, and “hill and valley” or facetted surfaces. All clean surfaces of silicon are reconstructed and contain surface structures with the periodicities different from the periodicities in the bulk. At certain temperatures the reversible order-order and order-disorder transitions take place on clean surfaces of silicon.