Electron-beam-induced disordering of the Si(001)-c(4 x 2) surface structure.
An electron beam (EB) irradiation effect on the Si(001)-c(4 x 2) surface was investigated by using low-energy electron diffraction. Quarter-order spots become dim and streaky by EB irradiation below approximately 40 K, indicating a disordering in the c(4 x 2) arrangement of buckled dimers. A quantitative analysis of decreasing rates of the spot intensity at various conditions of beam current, beam energy, and substrate temperature leads to a proposal for a mechanism of the disordering in the buckled-dimer arrangement in terms of electronic excitation, electron-phonon coupling, and carrier concentration.
Shirasawa
Tetsuroh
T
Department of Molecular and Material Sciences, Kyushu University, Kasuga, Fukuoka 816-8580, Japan.
Mizuno
Seigi
S
Tochihara
Hiroshi
H