Scanning tunneling microscopy observation of initial growth of Sn and Ge1−xSnx layers on Ge(0 0 1) substrates

We have investigated the initial growth of Sn and Ge1−xSnx layers on Ge(0 0 1) surface by using scanning tunneling microscopy. After the growth of a 0.035 ML-thick Sn layer at room temperature, Sn clusters lining vertically to a dimer row was observed. In the case of the 0.035–0.018 ML-thick Sn growth at 250 °C, the characteristic surface reconstruction with the step-edge undulation like a comb was observed. In the growth of a Ge0.994Sn0.006 layer at 250 °C, the multilayer polynuclear growth with a lot of two-dimensional small domain was observed. These surface reconstructions should be accounted for by the large compressive stress induced in the surface layer due to the incorporation of Sn atoms.