Growth of oriented crystalline Ag nanoislands on air-exposed Si(0 0 1) surfaces

Growth of Ag islands under ultrahigh vacuum condition on air-exposed Si(0 0 1)-(2 x 1) surfaces has been investigated by in-situ reflection high energy electron diffraction (RHEED). A thin oxide is formed on Si via exposure of the clean Si(0 0 1)-(2 x 1) surface to air. Deposition of Ag on this oxidized surface was carried out at different substrate temperatures. Deposition at room temperature leads to the growth of randomly oriented Ag islands while well-oriented Ag islands, with (0 0 1)Ag||(0 0 1)Si, [1 1 0]Ag||[1 1 0]Si, have been found to grow at substrate temperatures of ≥350 deg. C in spite of the presence of the oxide layer between Ag islands and Si. The RHEED patterns show similarities with the case of Ag deposition on H-passivated Si(0 0 1) surfaces.