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Annealing of low‐temperature growth in Ag/Si(111) as measured by RHEED spot profile analysis
Author(s) -
Kimberlin K. R.,
Rutter G. M.,
Nagle L. M.,
Roos K. R.,
Tringides M. C.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
surface and interface analysis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.52
H-Index - 90
eISSN - 1096-9918
pISSN - 0142-2421
DOI - 10.1002/sia.1656
Subject(s) - specular reflection , full width at half maximum , annealing (glass) , reflection high energy electron diffraction , electron diffraction , diffraction , molecular beam epitaxy , chemistry , optics , analytical chemistry (journal) , crystallography , molecular physics , materials science , epitaxy , layer (electronics) , physics , metallurgy , organic chemistry , chromatography
Ultrathin silver films were grown on Si(111) by molecular beam epitaxy and studied using reflective high‐energy electron diffraction. Intensity oscillations were observed showing evidence of layer‐by‐layer growth at 150–170 K. Upon annealing to room temperature, steps of twice the height of a single step appear in the film observed by spot profile analysis of the specular reflection. The full width at half‐maximum (FWHM) of the specular reflection is monitored as the perpendicular component of the scattering vector, S z , is changed. The periodicity of the FWHM as a function of S z doubles after annealing, indicating a doubling of the step height on the surface. The data are fitted using a one‐dimensional diffraction model from which a distribution of steps and step heights is obtained. A comparison with other recent annealing measurements in the Ag/Si(111) system is made and discussed in the context of the ‘electronic growth’ model. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.