Self-limited growth of the CaF nanowire on the Si(5512)-2 x 1 template

The atomic structure and interfacial bonding of the ordered-and-isolated CaF nanowires on Si(5 5 12)-2 x 1 have been disclosed by scanning tunneling microscopy and synchrotron photoemission spectroscopy. Initially. CaF molecules dissociated from thermally deposited CaF2 molecules are adsorbed preferentially on the chain structures of Si(5 5 12)-2 x 1 held at 500 degrees C. With increasing CaF2 deposition amount, one-dimensional (1D) CaF nanowires composed of (113) and (111) facets are formed. The line density of these CaF nanowires increases as a function of deposition amount. Finally, at a submonolayer coverage, the surface is saturated with these 1D nanowires except for the (225) subunit, while the original period of Si(5 5 12)-2 x 1, 5.35 nm, is preserved. It has been deduced by the present studies that, owing to these preferential adsorption of CaF and facet-dependent growth of a CaF layer within a unit periodic length of Si(5 5 12)-2 x 1, such a self-limited growth of the CaF nanowire with a high aspect ratio becomes possible. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.