Nanostructures obtained by self-organization of silicon surfaces

An overview of the formation of reconstructed facets on vicinal surfaces of Si(111), Si(100) and Si(110) is given, which have been observed by using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). Most of the samples have been prepared by mechanical grinding, subsequent chemical etching leading to concave-shaped surfaces and by in situ treatment of high-index Si wafers. The orientation of the experimentally observed facets are represented in a stereographic projection, which allows the recognition of more general trends in facet formation. Moreover, it provides information on the availability of unit cells in a wide range of sizes and may therefore become important for the growth of self-organized surface structures.