Scanning-tunneling-microscopy investigation of the nucleation and growth of Ag/Si(111)-(√3 × √3 )

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Abstract
The scanning tunneling microscope has been used to identify and distinguish between various stages of reactive growth of Ag on Si(111)-(7×7) at 450 °C. Continuous investigation of the reaction trend was made possible by producing a concentration gradient of Ag on the substrate. The surface features observed, such as hole-island pairs, are dependent on the sample coverage. Mechanisms for the formation of Ag/Si(111)-(√3 × √3 ) are proposed, and experimental confirmation of their validity is presented. Antiphase boundaries between neighboring (√3 × √3 ) domains have been observed, and a model for the atomic structure across such a boundary is shown. At near monolayer coverages small regions that exhibit the Si(111)-(1×1) structure have been identified.