Spontaneous vacancy array formation on FeSi2 and CoSi 2 formed on Si(100)2×n surface

Abstract

Atomic structure of FeSi2 or CoSi2 grown on the Si(100)2×n surface has been investigated by scanning tunneling microscopy. After annealing the Fe or Co covered Si(100)2×n substrate at ∼800°C, an ordered adatom vacancy array appears on the nominal 1×1 surface of the formed FeSi2 or CoSi2 islands, which has not been observed for silicide on the Si(100)-2×1. Upon further annealing to ∼1100°C, the vacancies coalesce into striped domains along one of the 〈011〉 directions. These nanostructured features are a result of the Ni impurities, and can be a promising template for fabricating nanodot arrays. © 2002 American Institute of Physics.