Controlled surface functionalization via self-selective metal adsorption and pattern transformation on the vicinal Si(111) surface

We demonstrate a self-selective metal adsorption and pattern transformation process on vicinal Si 111 surfaces. When Au atoms are deposited onto the self-organized periodic Si 111 surface patterns, the Au atoms self-select to adsorb predominantly onto one of the two distinct domains, the Si 111 terrace or the stepbunched facet at different Au coverage. This leads to a systematic transformation of the surface pattern, whose domain population changes while its periodicity remains intact with the increasing Au coverage. A stressdomain model is used to explain the observed phenomenon. Our findings suggest a unique method for controlled functionalization of surfaces at the nanoscale, as illustrated further by domain-selective self-assembly of uniform CoSi2 nanoclusters on the Au-functionalized vicinal Si 111 surface.