Control of island formation on silicon surfaces using ultra-high-vacuum scanning electron microscopy

In situ scanning electron microscopy has been used to control Au island formation on a patterned Si(111) surface with a periodic array of atomic-step bunches and holes. Liquid phase Au-Si islands were observed to redistribute on the patterned surface by annealing. The islands accumulate at a particular position of the step bunch in each pattern unit. This phenomenon is interpreted in terms of the energetic stability of a droplet on a patterned surface.