Orientational stability of silicon surfaces

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Abstract
We summarize recent experimental work we have performed on the orientational stability of various Si surfaces, concentrating on the interpretation of the results in terms of the Si equilibrium crystal shape. We have found that Si surfaces misoriented by up to ∼12° from the (111) plane are stable at high temperatures. Below the ‘‘(1×1)’’-to-(7×7) reconstruction transition on Si(111) the surfaces misoriented towards the [1̄10] and [112̄] directions reversibly facet into stepped and reconstructed unstepped regions. Here we discuss in detail thermodynamical and statistical mechanical models of this faceting. Surfaces misoriented from the (111) plane in the [1̄1̄2] direction, as well as (100) and (112) surfaces are stable over the accessible temperature range. However, the introduction of small amounts of carbon causes both the (100) and (112) to facet. Calculations of the stability of Si(112) using recently proposed empirical potentials for Si are presented.

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