Very low temperature (<400°C) silicon molecular beam epitaxy: The role of low energy ion irradiation

Concurrent low energy (50-70 eV) ion irradiation during silicon molecular beam epitaxy results in an increased epitaxial thickness at very low temperatures relative to conventional molecular beam epitaxy. Ion irradiation of a (1×1) dihydride-terminated Si(001) results in a (2×1) reconstruction, indicating irradiation-induced hydrogen desorption. Conventional molecular beam epitaxial growth is possible on a dihydride-terminated Si(001) surface following (2×1) reconstruction such that the substrate temperature never exceeds 150°C; which is not possible without irradiation.