Surface structure of homoepitaxial diamond (001) films, a scanning tunneling microscopy study

The surface structures of homoepitaxial diamond(001) films have been studied by using scanning tunneling microscopy. Boron-doped films were grown on natural diamond substrates. Images showed a dimer-type 2x1 reconstruction with well-resolved dimers. The surface consists of alternating terraces of 2 x 1 and 1 x 2 dimerization which are separated by single-layer steps with inequivalent step edges along [110] directions. Double-layer steps running parallel to dimer rows of the upper terraces were observed locally. We have also observed local 3 x 1 configurations, antiphase boundaries, and dimer vacancies, etc. (C) 1995 American Institute of Physics.