The behaviour of In overlayers deposited on a vicinal Si(100)-(2 x 1) surface at coverages between 0.5 and 25ML and annealing temperatures between 250 and 600C was studied by scanning tunnelling microscopy. The vicinal Si(100) surface was misoriented at 4° toward [011], consisting of type-B (1 x 2) terraces of ~40Å width with double atomic-layer steps. A (4 x 3) reconstruction was observed throughout the entire range of coverages and annealing temperatures. Although the original vicinal Si(100)-(2 x 1) surface was highly stable at annealing temperatures up to 700C, step-bunching was induced by In adsorption at coverages greater than 0.5ML, with the (100) terraces increasing to many times their original width. At coverages greater than 1ML, the original step direction of [0¯11] changed to a zig-zag along low-index [010] and [001] directions, and the bunched steps became {130} facets. At annealing temperatures greater than 550C, the {130} facets disappeared and the bunched steps were restored with meandering step directions. The destruction of the {130} facets was attributed to preferential desorption of In from these facets at 550C. The (4 x 3) reconstruction persisted on the (100) terraces until the annealing temperature reached 600C.

Reconstruction, Step-Bunching and Faceting of a Vicinal Si(100) Surface Induced by Indium Adsorption. L.Lian, W.Yi, I.S.T.Tsong: Surface Science, 1994, 304[1-2], 1-11