English (United Kingdom)

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/featured_content/oa?rat=en

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/highlighted_journal/

Zendy Open

Presents the pdf analysis as premium feature

PDF Analysis

Insights

Presents the summarisation as premium feature

Summarisation

Presents the keyphrase highlighting as premium feature

Keyphrase Highlighting

Presents the zaia usage as premium feature

ZAIA

Zendy Tools

Zendy Plus

Presents the access of premium content as premium feature

Premium Content

We experimentally studied the effects of a moderated electromigration field on the dynamics of the step bunching process on the Si(111) surface at 1130 ◦C (regime II) and 1270 ◦C (regime III). The surfaces with step bunch morphologies were created by annealing vicinal Si(111) at fixed temperatures while the applied electric field E was adjusted for every experiment. Scaling relations, ym ∼ hE , between the slope of a step bunch ym, step bunch height h, and electromigration field E were experimentally probed. Scaling exponents α ≈ 2/3 and q ≈ 1/3 were extracted from the step bunch morphologies created by annealing Si(111) in the regime III (1270 ◦C), which are in good agreement with the predictions of the generalized BCF theory. Scaling exponents α ≈ 3/5 and q ≈ 1/3 were extracted from the morphologies created by annealing in regime II (1130 ◦C). This result was compared to the scaling relations derived within the frame of the transparent step model, which correctly predicts the formation of the step bunching instability by step-up adatom electromigration. The scaling relation obtained by experiment was found to differ from the model predictions. We measured values of critical electric field (Ecr), i.e., minimum electric field required for the step bunching to take place. A relatively weak field of E > 0.5 V/cm was found to be sufficient to initiate the step bunching process in regime II. This contrasts with regime III, where Ecr = 1.0 and 2.0 V/cm were measured for Si miscut from the (111) plane by 1.1◦ and 2.5◦, respectively. The increased values of Ecr were attributed to the enhanced step-step repulsion in regime III. The theoretically predicted formation of compressed step density waves was observed upon annealing in both regimes with E < Ecr.

Experimental quantitative study into the effects of electromigration field moderation on step bunching instability development on Si(111)