Study of the crystal structure of silicon nanoislands on sapphire

The results of studies of the crystal structure of silicon nanoislands on sapphire are reported. It is shown that the principal defects in silicon nanoislands on sapphire are twinning defects. As a result of the formation of such defects, different crystallographic orientations are formed in silicon nanoislands on sapphire. In the initial stages of the molecular-beam epitaxy of silicon on sapphire, there are two basic orientations: the (001) orientation parallel to the surface and the (001) orientation at an angle of 70$^\circ$ to the surface.