Reactivity of O with Si 111/surfaces with different surface 2 structures

Reactivity of O2 with Si 111. surfaces in which both 7=7 dimer–adatom-stacking fault DAS. domains and unreconstructed ‘1=1’ region coexist, have been investigated. The change in surface morphology due to O2 exposure has been monitored in-situ with high temperature STM. The acquired sequential images clearly show that the change due to oxidation preferentially takes place at such sites as ‘1=1’ region, 7=7–‘1=1’ phase boundary and the missing adatom sites in a 7=7 domain, where adatoms have a space to displace upon oxidation. q1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.