Using a low-energy ion gun/high-temperature scanning tunneling microscope combined system, the atomic scale behavior of a Si surface kept at 500C before was observed during, and after, Ar-ion irradiation. It was found that Si islands grew up within ion irradiation selectively along the boundaries of domains of 7x7 dimer-adatom stacking faults. The Si islands were 1 double atomic layer high and had the 7x7 dimer-adatom stacking reconstruction. The area of the islands increased linearly with ion doses up to 2.5 x 1014/cm2.

Si Island Formation on Domain Boundaries Induced by Ar Ion Irradiation on High-Temperature Si(111)-7 x 7 Dimer-Adatom-Stacking Fault Surfaces. M.Uchigasaki, K.Tomiki, T.Kamioka, E.Nakayama, T.Watanabe, I.Ohdomari: Japanese Journal of Applied Physics, 2005, 44[10], L313-4