Si nanostripe formation on vicinal Ge(1 0 0) surfaces

Kinetic growth modes of Si in the submonolayer regime on vicinal Ge(1 0 0) surfaces miscut by 2.7° and 5.4° towards the [0 1 1] direction were investigated using low energy electron diffraction (LEED) and photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS, UPS). At a Si coverage around 0.5 ML and temperatures between 470 and 600 K Si nanostripes separated by Ge nanostripes are formed due to preferential nucleation of Si adatoms on the (1 × 2)-reconstructed Ge(1 0 0) domains. At room temperature both Ge(1 0 0) domains are covered by pseudomorphic Si islands. The stability of the Ge–Si stripe structure is limited to 600 K above which alloy formation was found by photoelectron spectroscopy.