Structural models of reconstructed Si(110) surface phases

• Published in: Surface science 1990-12, Vol.239 (3), p.227-234
• Main Authors: Shkrebtii, A.I., Bertoni, C.M., Del Sole, R., Nesterenko, B.A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties; Exact sciences and technology; Physics; Solid surfaces and solid-solid interfaces; Surface structure and topography; Surfaces and interfaces; thin films and whiskers (structure and nonelectronic properties)
• ISSN: 0039-6028; 1879-2758
• DOI: 10.1016/0039-6028(90)90225-W

Structural models are proposed for the wide class of experimentally observed superstructures on the Si(110) surface: both for the case of Si(110) “16 × 2’ reconstruction and for the superstructures stabilized by Ni or Cu contamination, like (4 × 5), (2 × 1) and (5 × 1). These models are based on semi-empirical tight-binding total energy calculations for model subunits, on surface lattice dynamics experiments and also on scanning tunnelling microscope measurements. These models consist of a variety of building blocks, namely: new type of π-bonded dimers, adatoms, atoms with unsaturated dangling bonds, regular sequences of surface steps and missing rows. Surface stresses due to both the π-dimer or adatom formation and Ni contamination are considered to be the driving force of the Si(110) reconstructions.