In this work, erbium silicide is grown on the Si(l 0 0) surface by depositing Er onto the substrate and annealing at 600-700 degreesC. Many nanowires of Er silicide are formed with lengths in the range 10-100 nm. The formation and evolution of this nanostructure are investigated at atomic scale directly with scanning tunneling microscopy and low-energy electron diffraction. The direction of these nanowires is found perpendicular to that of Si dimer rows. It is shown that Er coverage and annealing temperature have an effect on the formation of nanowires. On the surface between nanowires, new (5 x 2) and c(5 x 4) reconstructions are observed, giving an implication to understand the growth behaviors of Er silicide on Si(l 0 0) surface. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.