Development of surface morphology on silicon and silicon carbide induced by stress, adsorption and etching

This dissertation addresses the equilibrium structures of highly B-doped Si(001) surfaces; the sublimation behavior of Si(001) surfaces; the etching behavior of oxygen gas on Si(001) surfaces; the surface structure and morphology of SiC(0001) surfaces under various treatments. Low-energy electron microscopy (LEEM) and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) were used to study these surfaces. An equilibrium "striped" phase was observed on highly B-doped Si(001) surfaces. A striking reversible "triangular-tiled" to "striped" step shape transition as the sample temperature changed was revealed. These observations were explained by the surface stress relaxation effects enhanced by the temperature dependent segregation of boron atoms on the Si(001) surface. It is proposed that the high boron doping enhanced the formation of the striped stress domains by producing biaxial tensile strain near the Si(001) surface, increasing the surface stress anisotropy and possibly reducing the creation energy for S...