title: Morphology Analysis of Si Island Arrays on Si(001).
abstract: The formation of nanometer-scale islands is an important issue for bottom-up-based schemes in novel electronic, optoelectronic and magnetoelectronic devices technology. In this work, we present a detailed atomic force microscopy analysis of Si island arrays grown by molecular beam epitaxy. Recent reports have shown that self-assembled distributions of fourfold pyramid-like islands develop in 5-nm thick Si layers grown at substrate temperatures of 650 and 750°C on HF-prepared Si(001) substrates. Looking for wielding control and understanding the phenomena involved in this surface nanostructuring, we develop and apply a formalism that allows for processing large area AFM topographic images in a shot, obtaining surface orientation maps with specific information on facets population. The procedure reveals some noticeable features of these Si island arrays, e.g. a clear anisotropy of the in-plane local slope distributions. Total island volume analysis also indicates mass transport from the substrate surface to the 3D islands, a process presumably related to the presence of trenches around some of the pyramids. Results are discussed within the framework of similar island arrays in homoepitaxial and heteroepitaxial semiconductor systems.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid (ICMM-CSIC), C/Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz 3, Cantoblanco, Madrid, 28049 Spain.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: González-González
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alonso
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Navarro
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Sacedón
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ruiz