(6 x 2) reconstruction of the Ag/Si(111) surface at 77 K

A. Urbieta (1) , K. Schulte (2) , B. Grandidier (1) , D. Deresmes , S.C. Erwin , D. Stievenard (1)

1 IEMN - Institut d’Électronique, de Microélectronique et de Nanotechnologie - UMR 8520
2 School of Physics and Astronomy [Nottingham]

The ground state of the Ag/Si(1 1 1)-(3 × 1) has been investigated by low temperature scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and density-functional theory. The Fourier transform of the STM image reveals a (6 × 2) reconstruction, which is theoretically found to yield a reconstruction with lower energy than the (3 × 1). The most stable (6 × 2) structural model leads to excellent correspondence between experimental and simulated STM images, and reveals a dimerization of the silver atoms in the channels formed by neighbouring honeycomb Si chains.

Mots clés: Silver; Silicon; Surface reconstruction; Scanning tunneling microscopy; Density functional theory

Domaines: Sciences de l'ingénieur [physics]

A. Urbieta, K. Schulte, B. Grandidier, D. Deresmes, S.C. Erwin, et al.. (6 x 2) reconstruction of the Ag/Si(111) surface at 77 K. Surface Science : A Journal Devoted to the Physics and Chemistry of Interfaces, 2009, 603 (2), pp.311-314. ⟨10.1016/j.susc.2008.11.025⟩. ⟨hal-00473063⟩