Germanium atomic density

The partial wetting of a melt on a low-index plane of its solid has already been predicted - and observed on Cd", Ga , Ge, NaCT and KCl . However, as mentioned earlier, indications of anisotropic wetting have been limited to Ge and icel In the case of Pb, the wetting angle is shown to increase as the surface free energy, or the atomic density of the surface plane, decreases. Germanium was quoted as having a similar behaviouf. 

Fig. 207. The deformation electron density map in the germanium atoms chain for YGe. Designations are as in fig. 205.

Perfection especially is required on the silicon surface. A 100 surface of silicon contains 6.8 x 1014 atoms/cm2. Surface defect densities must be less than one part in 105—105 defects/cm2 for satisfactory MOSFET operation. In fact, the discovery of the original point contact transistor was only possible because the native oxide on single-crystal germanium has surface defect densities less than one part in 104. Good silicon devices required the discovery (10) that the thermal oxidation of silicon could produce an excellent Si—Si02 interface. 

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