Epitaxial growth of largely mismatched crystals on H-terminated Si(111) surfaces

A strontium or strontium oxide epitaxial layer was grown using a monoatomic buffer layer of hydrogen on silicon, in spite of a huge lattice mismatch. The onset of the initial growth stage of strontium crystals occur with only one atomic layer deposition. To investigate the growth mechanism in the highly mismatched system, combination analysis using neutron reflection, reflection high-energy electron diffraction, x-ray photoelectron spectra, and stress measurements is employed. The interface structure has opened up a new way to fabricate novel heterostructures, consisting of various kinds of one-, two- or three-dimensional materials for future silicon-based technology.