The Si(001) surface morphology during ion sputtering at high temperatures and solid-phase epitaxy following ion sputtering at room temperature was investigated by using scanning tunneling microscopy. Two types of antiphase boundary formed on Si(001) surfaces during ion sputtering and solid-phase epitaxy. One type of antiphase boundary, AP2, contributed to surface roughening. The AP2 antiphase boundaries were stable up to 700C, and ion sputtering and solid-phase epitaxy performed at 700C resulted in atomically flat Si(001) surfaces.

The Role of Antiphase Boundaries during Ion Sputtering and Solid Phase Epitaxy of Si(001). J.C.Kim, J.Y.Ji, J.S.Kline, J.R.Tucker, T.C.Shen: Surface Science, 2003, 538[3], L471-6