Leed studies of vicinal surfaces of silicon

Clean silicon surfaces inclined at small angles to (111), (100) and (110) planes were investigated by LEED. Surfaces oriented at low angles to the (111) plane contain steps with edges towards [2̄11] or [21̄1̄]. Steps with edges towards [2̄11] have a height of two interplanar distances d₁₁₁ at low temperatures. At 800°C the reversible reconstruction of this step array into the steps of monolayer height takes place. Steps with edges towards [21̄1̄] can be seen at low temperatures only. They are of monolayer height and disappear at annealing in vacuum. Surfaces oriented at low angles to the (100) plane contain steps with (100) terraces and have a height of about two interplanar distances d₁₀₀. Surfaces at low angles to (110) planes are facetted and contain facets of the (47 35 7) type. The information about surface self-diffusion of silicon may be obtained using the kinetic data of structural reconstructions on surfaces close to (111) at different temperatures.