A study was made of the various diffusion pathways of Si and Ge dimers on the Ge (001) surface using scanning tunneling microscopy. The adsorbed dimers could be classified into 2 categories: Dimers adsorbed on top of the substrate rows and dimers adsorbed in the troughs between the substrate rows. There were 3 different diffusion pathways for the dimers: along the substrate rows, across the substrate rows and in the troughs between the substrate rows. The activation barriers for diffusion of these 3 pathways were determined for both Ge and Si dimers on Ge (001). The barriers for dimer diffusion of the system Ge/Ge (001) were slightly lower than for the Si/Ge (001) system. As compared to Si on Si (001) the activation barriers for dimer diffusion on Ge (001) were significantly lower.

Diffusion of Si and Ge Dimers on Ge (001) Surfaces. T.V.Afanasieva, S.Y.Bulavenko, I.F.Koval, H.J.W.Zandvliet: Journal of Applied Physics, 2003, 93[3], 1452-6