Strain‐induced dimer adatom stacking fault structures of germanium on Si(111)‐(√3×√3)R30°:B observed by scanning tunneling microscopy

The growth and the atomic structure of the Ge on the Si(111)‐((3)1/2×(3)1/2)R30° surface are investigated by scanning tunneling microscopy. The coexistence of the ((3)1/2×(3)1/2)R30° and the c(2×4) reconstruction at the Si‐substrate is discussed. Germanium on silicon, usually indistinguishable from the silicon is identified on the boron induced ((3)1/2×(3)1/2)R30° surface using the difference in reconstruction of the substrate and epitaxial material. The germanium deposit shows a dimer adatom stacking fault‐like structure while the substrate still remains ((3)1/2×(3)1/2)R30° reconstructed. A significant boron diffusion is only observed after annealing at 480 °C, which converts the island surface into a ((3)1/2×(3)1/2)R30° reconstruction.