A high-temperature scanning-tunnelling-microscope/low-energy ion-gun combined system was developed in order to clarify the microscopic aspects of annealing processes of ion-irradiated Si surfaces. This system allowed the performance of atom-resolved high-temperature scanning tunnelling microscopic observation and ion beam irradiation simultaneously in ultrahigh vacuum conditions. Taking great advantage of this system, sequential scanning tunnelling microscopic images of high-temperature Si(111) were successfully obtained for surfaces irradiated with 3keV Ar+ single ions. The scanning tunnelling microscopic results showed that the surface defects induced by single ion irradiation exhibited various changes in size and shape, which was considered to result from diffusion of vacancies and interstitial atoms in the substrates, diffusion of atoms on the surface, and from an anisotropic character of the surface atomic arrangement.

High-Temperature Real-Time Observation of Surface Defects Induced by Single Ion Irradiation using Scanning-Tunneling-Microscope/Ion-Gun Combined System. K.Shimada, T.Ishimaru, T.Yamawaki, M.Uchigasaki, K.Tomiki, T.Matsukawa, I.Ohdomari: Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology B, 2001, 19[5], 1989-94