The step structure of a vicinal Si(111) surface, which was misoriented by 10 with respect to [11¯2], was studied by using high-temperature scanning tunnelling microscopy. Phase transitions on the vicinal Si(111) surface were observed in real time at the atomic scale. During cooling from above the (1 x 1) to (7 x 7) transition temperature, slender (111) facets with a 7 x 7 structure appeared. These facets widened as the temperature decreased. In the initial stages of step bunching, no surface reconstruction was observed on the step bunch. However, at temperatures below 700C, the nucleation of reconstructed (331) facets began on the step bunch.

H.Hibino, T.Fukuda, M.Suzuki, Y.Homma, T.Sato, M.Iwatsuki, K.Miki, H.Tokumoto: Physical Review B, 1993, 47[19], 13027-30