Growth kinetics of aluminum on the Si(100) surface studied by scanning tunneling microscopy

The kinetic processes at the initial stage of Al on Si(100) were investigated as a function of the substrate temperatures by using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), The experimental relationship between the island number density and the substrate temperature was obtained. It was found that there was a transition temperature T-o at which the island number density had a minimum value, The existence of the transition temperature was interpreted in terms of the competition between the reevaporation and capture of adatoms, Experimental results were quantitatively discussed through establishing the theoretical dependences of the island number density on the substrate temperatures below and above T-o by using probability analysis method. Then the adsorption energy E(a) and the activation energy for surface diffusion, E(d), were determined.