Atomic structure of Sr-induced reconstructions on the Si(100) surface

Abstract

The Sr-induced reconstructions on Si(100) at elevated temperature were studied using scanning tunneling microscopy and reflection high energy electron diffraction. With the Sr coverage increasing from 0 to 0.5 monolayer, the surface exhibits phase transitions from 2 × 1-Sr to 2 × 3-Sr and then to 1 × 2-Sr. The bias-dependent, high resolution STM images unambiguously support a dimer-vacancy structural model for the 2 × 3-Sr phase. Furthermore, the coverage-dependent evolution of the surface from 2 × 3-Sr to 1 × 2-Sr can also be nicely explained by extending the 2 × 3-Sr model to the 1 × 2-Sr. © 2011 American Institute of Physics.