Formation of silver nanodots and nanowires on a Si(557) surface

Scanning tunneling and Auger spectroscopy were used to study the formation of silver nanostructures at room temperature on a Si(557) surface containing regular atomic steps with a height of three interplanar spacings. The shape of silver islands formed on the surface was found to be affected by oxygen adsorbed on the silicon surface from the residual atmosphere in a vacuum chamber. Depending on the amount of adsorbed oxygen, silver nanostructures can be obtained in the form of nanowires extended along the edges of steps or nanodots ordered in lines parallel to these edges.