UHV-SEM observations of cleaning process and step formation on silicon (111) surfaces by annealing

The cleaning process and step formation by high temperature annealing up to 1250°C on the Si(111) surface are observed by an ultra-high-vacuum scanning electron microscope (UHV-SEM). The clean surface is composed of alternate planes of terraces and step bands with widths of several μm and 1 μm, respectively, in the 〈1?1?2〉 direction. Both planes are inclined by about 10° to each other. The surface steps are not only monolayer steps, but also higher steps comprising several monolayers. Monolayer steps join to form a high step, and 70–80 steps of several monolayers high form a step band by bunching in an average distance of several hundred A toward the 〈1?10〉 direction. The step structure depends on the annealing temperature and on the angle at which the cutting plane is off from the exact 〈111〉 orientation. In several studies of high energy reflection electron microscopy under small grazing angle incidence monolayer steps were observed on the terrace, but no rough structures like the step bands and high steps could be discerned. The step structure observed by the present experiment is compared with those observed by previous workers.