Initial stage of growth of Au on a Si(h h m) surface where m/h 1.4-1.5 (a Si(1 1 1) vicinal surface inclined by about 10.5degrees toward the [(1) over bar (1) over bar 2] direction) was studied by high temperature STM. The Si(h h m) clean surface is destabilized by a small amount of Au adsorption and transforms into a stepped-(5 5 7) surface. The surface morphology changes by Au adsorption due to change of the surface energy and stabilized facet depend on Au coverage. The (5 5 7) surface transformed into a hill-and-valley structure composed of (3 3 5) and (1 1 1) facets, and it subsequently transformed into another hill-and-valley structure composed of (5 5 1 1) and (1 1 1) facets. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.