Scanning tunnelling microscopy was used to investigate the effect of a surface B concentration upon Si growth via chemical vapor deposition. It was found that the presence of B-induced reconstructions on the Si(001) surface markedly changed the surface morphology during subsequent Si growth using disilane at 815K. The presence of B-induced reconstructions inhibited the lateral diffusion of Si atoms from terraces to step edges, led to greatly enhanced island nucleation and also reduced the local surface reactivity to disilane. A marked segregation of B to the growth surface permitted enhanced island nucleation to persist through to subsequent terraces during multi-layer chemical vapor deposition, and produced a rough but epitaxial surface.

Y.Wang, R.J.Hamers: Applied Physics Letters, 1995, 66[16], 2057-9