Indium-induced Si(111)4×1 silicon substrate atom reconstruction

Abstract

Atomic hydrogen interaction with the Si(111)4\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}1-In surface phase was studied using low-energy electron diffraction, Auger electron spectroscopy, and scanning tunneling microscopy. Upon hydrogen action mostly Si-In outer bonds are broken and are replaced by Si-H, and In is freed to form islands without Si movement. It was found that the underlying atomic layer of a substrate of the Si(111)4\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}1-In surface phase has a reconstruction with the same periodicity as the In layer. A structural model of this substrate reconstruction is proposed based on the recently proposed extended Pandey chain model for the Si(111)3\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}1 Ag- and alkali-metals-induced substrate reconstruction.