Studies were made of the {111} cross-sectional surface of epitaxially grown Si/Ge(111) samples. The samples were cleaved under ultra-high vacuum, and the {111} cross-sections were investigated in situ by using scanning tunnelling microscopy. After annealing, 7 x 7 and c(2 x 8) reconstructions appeared; the first at the Si side, and the latter at the Ge side. In the transition region between 7 x 7 and c(2 x 8) reconstructions, the adatoms were arranged in 2 x 2 and c(2 x 4) short-range orderings. Small 7 x 7 domains were also observed. These 7 x 7 domains adjoined {1¯10}-oriented steps. A detailed analysis of the terrace heights and adatom sites related these steps to the dissociation of a misfit dislocation with a Burgers vector of a/2[¯101].

Scanning tunnelling microscope study of the {111} cross-sectional surface of Si/Ge layered material M.Ohmori, H.Hirayama, K.Takayanagi: Physical Review B, 1999, 59[8], 5612-6