Using a new solid-on-solid model that correctly takes into account the diamond-cubic crystal structure, both a roughening transition at temperature TR and a distinct preroughening transition at TPR≈0.43TR are found to exist on {111}surfaces of diamond-cubic materials. Results are presented for height-difference correlation functions, surface specific heats, step energies, etch rates, and a preroughening order parameter. Preroughening appears to arise naturally in our nearest-neighbor bond model from the entropic freedom available in the non-trivial crystal structure suggesting that preroughening may be more common than previously anticipated. Preroughening is shown to dramatically lower step energies and step-energy anisotropy on the {111} surface. Preroughening of Si{111} may have been seen in experiments by Noh et al. [Phys. Rev. B 48, 1612 (1993)].
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/john-jaszczak/60/
© 1997 Materials Research Society. Publisher’s version of record: http://dx.doi.org/10.1557/PROC-440-71