High-energy ion scattering and channelling and low-energy electron diffraction were used to investigate quantitatively the initial stages of interface formation (overlayer thickness up to ∼10Å) during Si molecular-beam epitaxy. Changes in the geometry of the Si substrate surface (i.e. re-ordering) and of the Si overlayer were measured as a function of Si coverage, deposition temperature, and substrate reconstruction. It was found that room-temperature deposition reorders the Si(100)-(2 x 1) substrate but not the Si(111)-(7 x 7). This difference was discussed in terms of structural models for these surfaces. On both surfaces, however, deposition at 300K results in a highly imperfect overlayer. To obtain high-quality growth, a deposition temperature of ∼790K was needed for Si(111)-(7 x 7) and of ∼570K for Si(100)-(2 x 1).

Initial Stages of Silicon Molecular-Beam Epitaxy - Effects of Surface Reconstruction. H.J.Gossmann, L.C.Feldman: Physical Review B, 1985, 32, 6-11