The atomistic pathway towards the growth of semiconductors heterostructures on vicinal surfaces is investigated in a special experiment. A step-by-step study of the early stages of Ge deposition at $T=873\mathrm{K}$ on a 8° off Si(001) surface miscut along $\left[110\right]$ is performed by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). The microscopic processes occurring during growth are identified. Highly resolved STM images show how double height steps, which characterize the clean substrate, evolve by a step flow process generated by addimer chains located at specific positions. This process leads to the formation of metastable single domains until the development of {105} faceted ripples extending along the whole surface in the miscut direction.

• Received 23 January 2006

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.75.033305