Unique surface structure formations on a Ge-covered Si(110)-16 × 2 surface

Si-Ge structures forming new shapes on a Si(110)-16 × 2 reconstructed surface were investigated via scanning tunneling microscopy. Pyramidal-shaped Si–Ge nanoislands lying along the directions were formed on the striped structure at high Ge coverage surface. However, when a single monolayer of Ge was deposited on the Si(110)-16 × 2 surface, single-domain of 16 × 2 striped structure disappeared, and a new double-domain striped structure was formed over the surface along directions that differed from original directions. This structure represents a new Si-Ge striped structure that forms by the mixing of Ge and Si due to high temperature annealing. These results indicate that the surface structure changes specifically with a trace of Ge