The evolution of nanoscale islands and wire structures during deposition and surface ripening was explored. Ultra-violet photo-electron emission microscopy was employed to study the real time growth process of individual erbium silicide nanostructures on Si(001) surfaces at up to 1050C. During the initial island formation process compact islands form and some undergo a shape transition to elongated islands oriented along the <110> directions of the Si substrate. The initial island formation was driven by the surface and interface energies of the silicide/Si structure. The widths of the growing islands remain essentially constant while the lengths increase. The observed elongated islands were ~150nm wide, which was larger than the width of prior reported erbium silicide nanowire structures. It was proposed that the ~150nm elongated islands were partially relaxed; possibly via the formation of misfit dislocations. The results indicated a temperature regime in which island growth was governed mainly by surface diffusion of the deposited Er adatoms and a higher temperature regime where Ostwald ripening contributed to the island morphology.

Influence of Strain, Surface Diffusion and Ostwald Ripening on the Evolution of Nanostructures for Erbium on Si(001). L.Fitting, M.C.Zeman, W.C.Yang, R.J.Nemanich: Journal of Applied Physics, 2003, 93[7], 4180-4