简介:PitformationandsurfacemorphologicalevolutioninSi(001)homoepitaxyareinvestigatedbyusingscanningtunnelingmicroscopy.Anti-phaseboundaryisfoundtogiverisetoinitialgenerationofpitsboundbybunchedDBsteps.Theterracesbreakupandarereducedtoacriticalnucleussizewithpitformation.Duetoanisotropickinetics,adownhillbiasdiffusioncurrent,whichislargeralongthedimerrowsthroughthecentreareaoftheterracethanthroughtheareaclosetotheedge,leadstotheprevalenceofpitsboundby{101}facets.Subsequentannealingresultsinashapetransitionfrom{101}-facetedpitstomulti-facetedpits.