Preparation of atomically clean and flat Si(1 0 0) surfaces by low-energy ion sputtering and low-temperature annealing
Abstract
Si(1 0 0) surfaces were prepared by wet-chemical etching followed by 0.3-1.5 keV Ar ion sputtering, either at elevated or room temperature (RT). After a brief anneal under ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) conditions, the resulting surfaces were examined by scanning tunneling microscopy. We find that wet-chemical etching alone cannot produce a clean and flat Si(1 0 0) surface. However, subsequent 300 eV Ar ion sputtering at room temperature followed by a 700 °C anneal yields atomically clean and flat Si(1 0 0) surfaces suitable for nanoscale device fabrication.
- Publication:
-
Applied Surface Science
- Pub Date:
- December 2003
- DOI:
- 10.1016/S0169-4332(03)00826-2
- arXiv:
- arXiv:cond-mat/0306397
- Bibcode:
- 2003ApSS..220..293K
- Keywords:
-
- Condensed Matter - Materials Science
- E-Print:
- 13 pages, 3 figures, to be published in Applied Surface Science