Formation of Si nanodot arrays on the oxidized Si(1 0 0) surface

Self-organized formation of Si nanodot arrays on the oxidized Si(1 0 0) surfaces has been studied using scanning tunneling microscopy. The growth of the oxide layer and subsequent Si deposition have been conducted under ultra-high vacuum conditions. Number density of the grown Si nanodots was in the range from 3 1012 to 8 1012 cm 2 and their average size varied from 3 to 5 nm. Effect of the SiO2 layer thickness (0.2–2.2 nm), amount of deposited Si (0.5–7.5 ML) and growth temperature (60–450 C) on the Si nanodot number density and size distribution has been determined