Influence of the surface microroughness of a Si(001) substrate on the morphology of CaF2 epitaxial layers under high-temperature growth conditions

The influence of the surface microroughness of Si(001) substrates on the morphology of CaF2 epitaxial layers is investigated in the high-temperature growth mode. The atomic-force microscopy method is used to demonstrate that the silicon surface relief substantially affects the nucleation, growth, and formation of the morphology of CaF2 layers.