AVS 46th International Symposium
    Nanometer-scale Science and Technology Division Wednesday Sessions
       Session NS-WeM

Paper NS-WeM11
Strain Effects on the Growth Modes at Stepped Surfaces

Wednesday, October 27, 1999, 11:40 am, Room 612

Session: Nanopatterning
Presenter: D.Y. Petrovykh, University of Wisconsin, Madison
Authors: D.Y. Petrovykh, University of Wisconsin, Madison
J.-L. Lin, University of Wisconsin, Madison
J. Viernow, University of Wisconsin, Madison
A. Kirakosian, University of Wisconsin, Madison
A. Li, University of Wisconsin, Madison
F. Liu, University of Wisconsin, Madison
M.G. Lagally, University of Wisconsin, Madison
F.J. Himpsel, University of Wisconsin, Madison
Correspondent: Click to Email
Strain and atomic steps have been used previously to control size, spacing and alignment of self-assembled nanostructures. In this study we utilize high quality Si(111) stepped surfaces as templates for growth of CaF@sub 2@ nanostructures.@footnote 1@ The growth modes in this system in the submonolayer coverage regime are strongly influenced by strain. The step flow mode is expected for deposition rates and substrate temperatures used in our experiments. Instead the growth results in strings of islands attached to step edges. Only for coverage around 0.5 monolayer and above we observe continuous stripes characteristic of the step flow mode. The above two regimes may be beneficial for self-assembly of quantum dot and wire arrays respectively. It has been recently suggested@footnote 2@ that the misfit strain is responsible for the initial roughening of the growth front and formation of islands. Beyond a critical coverage the roughening is suppressed by the interaction between islands on adjacent terraces and continuous stripes become more favorable. A quantitative comparison of experimental results with theory is presented. @FootnoteText@ @footnote 1@ J. Viernow, J.-L. Lin, D.Y. Petrovykh, F.M. Leibsle, F.K. Men, F.J. Himpsel, Appl. Phys. Lett. 72, 948 (1998); J. Viernow, D.Y. Petrovykh, F.K. Men, A. Kirakosian, J.-L. Lin, and F.J. Himpsel, Appl. Phys. Lett. 74, 2125 (1999); D.Y. Petrovykh, J. Viernow, J.-L. Lin, F.M. Leibsle, F.K. Men, A. Kirakosian, F.J. Himpsel, J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A17, July/August (1999). @footnote 2@ Adam Li, Feng Liu, D.Y. Petrovykh, J.-L. Lin, J. Viernow, F.J. Himpsel, M.G. Lagally (to be published).