Production of nanostructures of silicon on silicon by atomic self-organization observed by scanning tunneling microscopy

The possibility of exploiting the self-organization of mobile silicon atoms on silicon surfaces during ultrahigh vacuum thermal annealing for the construction of silicon-on-silicon structures is demonstrated. Rearrangement of the surface during thermal decomposition of an oxide layer can be controlled allowing the growth of primary structures surrounded by voids which can then be seeded by adsorbed gas molecules for the subsequent growth of secondary structures around the primary one. The controlled growth of these structures could find possible applications in Si-based microelectronic devices.