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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 17 March 2011
The Ge adsorption and diffusion processes on the monohydride terminated Si(001) surface are investigated by using first-principles total-energy calculations and kinetic Monte Carlo simulations. We find that the adsorbed Ge atoms tend to exchange sites with substrate Si dimer atoms. The site exchange plays an important role, which provides the most stable geometry and the easiest diffusion pathway. The Ge adatom migrates in the subsurface region instead of on the surface. The temporal variation in the adsorption geometry during diffusion is found. The Si atoms can become the surface diffusion species instead of the Ge atoms, as a result of the site exchange.