Clean vicinal surfaces exhibit a stepped pattern due to the presence of narrow terraces formed on a clean surface. Therefore, this provides a platform for the aligned growth of nanowires. Using this type of surface as a template, we have grown nanowires of iron di-silicide, which are preferentially directed along the length of the terraces and are following the step-edges. These nanowires do not follow underlying three-fold symmetry of the substrate. We have thus shown two-fold symmetric growth on a three-fold symmetric surface, where diffusion barrier energy plays an important role in determining the shape of the islands. The orientations of nanowires are governed primarily by the presence of step-edges. However, the crystallographic symmetry properties of the underlying substrate have also played its role in controlling the nanowire orientation. The system was grown by molecular beam epitaxy and analysed by scanning tunneling microscopy.

中文翻译：

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三重对称邻位Si(111)表面纳米线的阶梯边缘引导生长

由于在干净的表面上形成的狭窄平台的存在，干净的邻表面呈现阶梯状图案。因此，这为纳米线的对齐生长提供了平台。使用这种类型的表面作为模板，我们已经生长了二硅化铁的纳米线，它们优先沿着阶地的长度定向并跟随阶梯边缘。这些纳米线不遵循衬底的潜在三重对称性。因此，我们在三重对称表面上显示了两倍对称生长，其中扩散势垒能量在确定岛的形状方面起着重要作用。纳米线的取向主要受阶梯边缘的存在控制。然而，底层衬底的晶体对称性也在控制纳米线取向方面发挥了作用。