The structure and morphology of Si (111) surface at the initial stages of high temperature copper deposition

Structural and morphological transformations of an atomically clean Si(111) surface at initial stages of copper deposition were studied by in situ ultrahighvacuum reflection electron microscopy. The monatomic steps motion in the step-down direction and the change of the electron microscopy contrast along atomic steps were observed during the submonolayer copper deposition onto the substrate at 850degC. It was shown that the change of the contrast was caused by the formation of Cu/Si(111)-(5times5) reconstruction domains and the shift of monatomic steps was provided by the incorporation of silicon adatoms been generated during the formation of the superstructure.