The Morphology, Electron Structure, and Optical Properties of Self-Assembled Silicon Nanostructures on the Surface of Highly Oriented Pyrolytic Graphite

The results of studies of the morphology, electronic structure, and optical properties of self-assembled silicon nanostructures on the surface of highly oriented pyrolytic graphite are reported. The structures are fabricated by electron-beam-assisted evaporation in high-vacuum conditions. It is found that, at thicknesses of about one monolayer, the atomic structure of the layer is similar to that of graphene with the interatomic spacing similar to 2.4 angstrom. At film thicknesses larger than one monolayer, clusters about 5 nm in dimensions are formed on the substrate surface.