IUVSTA 15th International Vacuum Congress (IVC-15), AVS 48th International Symposium (AVS-48), 11th International Conference on Solid Surfaces (ICSS-11)
    Semiconductors Monday Sessions
       Session SC+SS-MoA

Paper SC+SS-MoA4
Steady-State Fluctuations of High-T Vicinal Si(111): Investigation of Step-Step Correlation Function of REM Data@footnote 1@

Monday, October 29, 2001, 3:00 pm, Room 122

Session: Semiconductor Surfaces
Presenter: T.L. Einstein, University of Maryland, College Park
Authors: T.L. Einstein, University of Maryland, College Park
S.D. Cohen, UM,CP
J.J. Métois, University of Aix-Marseilles III, France
H.G. Bantu, UM,CP
H.L. Richards, Texas A&M University
E.D. Williams, UM,CP
Correspondent: Click to Email
To estimate from experimental data the strength of step interactions on vicinal surfaces, one typically studies the terrace-width distribution (TWD), i.e. the separation distance between adjacent steps. From a theoretical perspective, it is simpler to study instead the step-step correlation function h(L), i.e. the probability of finding two steps separated by some distance L, regardless of how many steps lie between them.@footnote 2@ In fact, to the extent that traditional 1+1 D fermion models are applicable, exact results are available for h(L).@footnote 3@ We apply this new approach to extensive REM (reflection electron microscopy) data for the intriguing case of vicinal Si(111) at high temperatures T: 1100, 1200, and 1250°C. To compensate for the sublimation in this regime (e.g. 0.015 ML/s at 1100°C), Si is evaporated onto the sample to maintain steady state.@footnote 4@ Digitizing the data posed several unusual challenges, some of which made this system particularly appropriate for analysis via h(L) rather than TWD. The key question is whether the step stiffness and step-step repulsion of these steady-state systems are consistent with (higher-T extrapolation) of equilibrium results obtained at lower T. @footnote 5,6@ @FootnoteText@ @footnote 1@ Work at UM supported by NSF-MRSEC. @footnote 2@ T.L. Einstein et al., Surface Sci., in press [cond-mat/0012274] & refs. therein. @footnote 3@ P.J. Forrester, J. Stat. Phys.72 (1993) 39. @footnote 4@ S. Stoyanov, J.J. Métois, & V. Tonchev, Surface Sci. 465 (2000) 227. @footnote 5@ H.-C. Jeong & E.D. Williams, Surface Sci. Reports 34 (1999) 171 & refs. therein. @footnote 6@ C. Alfonso, J.M. Bermond, J.C. Heyraud, & J.J. Métois, Surface Sci. 262 (1992) 371.