Structural study of Al deposited surface on Si(1 1 1) 3 p 3 p -Al

Room temperature deposition of Al on Si(1 1 1) 3 p 3 p -Al surface shows two-dimensional growth mode and results in an excellent epitaxial ®lm of Al(1 1 1). Especially, in the initial growth stage, a transient behavior is observed in the RHEED intensity oscillation curve of the specular beam. By means of dynamical analysis of the RHEED rocking curves, the transient surface structure has been clari®ed as entirely ®lled T4 site (EFT) structure, where deposited 2/3 monolayer Al atoms sit on the residual 2/3 monolayer T4 sites and the height is slightly lower than that of initially situated 1/3 monolayer Al atoms at T4 sites of Si(1 1 1) 3 p 3 p -Al structure. The EFT surface structure is considered to play an important part leading to the excellent epitaxial growth of Al(1 1 1). # 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.