A channeled ion energy loss study of the surfactant-mediated growth of Ge on Si(100)

Scattered ion energy distribution for the system Sb/Ge/Si(100) are studied using transmission ion channeling. One monolayer (ML) of Sb was deposited on the clean Si(100) surface prior to deposition of one ML of Ge at 350°C. Experimental energy distributions for the <100>, {110}, and “random” directions are compared with simulated energy distributions obtained by overlapping trial absorbate positions (relative to bulk positions) with ion positions in the channel at the beam-exit surface. Ion positions and energies are calculated via a Monte Carlo simulation of channeling that incorporates a model for channeled ion energy loss. We find that the energy distributions clearly show that the surfactant, Sb, moves to the surface upon Ge deposition at 350°C. Further, our results are consistent with the sites recently reported by Grant et al. Surf. Sci. 316 (1994) L1088], for Sb deposited on Ge/Si(100), namely, tilted Sb dimers on Ge asymmetrically displaced from bulk sites.