Abstract
By means of in situ high-temperature scanning tunnelling microscopy(STM), the thermal stability of highly ordered artificial Al nanoclusterarrays, so-called two-dimensional nanocluster crystals, on vicinalSi (111)-7 × 7 surfaces has been investigated. It was found that Al nanocluster crystals are stable below500 °C.Above 500 °C, the Al nanocluster crystal transforms into a surface phase with singular triangle shapes on down-terraces (the down-step side of aterrace). However, on up-terraces (the up-step side of a terrace), Al nanoclusters can move onSi (111)-7 × 7 surfaces over a large distance and the Al nanocluster crystal retracts toward the phase until the bare Si (111)-7 × 7 surface is completely recovered on up-terraces. The thermallyactivated motion of Al nanoclusters was not observed apparently below400 °C, though Al nanocluster crystals can be formed even at200 °C. This indicates that it is atom diffusion, not cluster diffusion, whichis responsible for the formation process of metal cluster crystals onSi (111)-7 × 7 surfaces.
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