Paper SS-ThP7
In-induced Atomic Chains on the Stepped Si Surface : In/Si(557)1x3

Thursday, October 18, 2007, 5:30 pm, Room 4C

We have investigated the In-induced one-dimensional (1D) surface reconstruction on the Si(557) surface using low energy electron diffraction (LEED) and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). One-dimensional electron systems have showed exotic phenomena such as Jahn-Teller distortion, non-Fermi liquid behavior, and Peierls instability.¹ Recently, stepped Si surfaces have attracted much attention as templates for formation of one-dimensional structures. Some examples that have been extensively studied are the Au/Si(553), Au/Si(557), Pb/Si(557) surfaces.² The In-induced 1D structure on the Si(557) surface was prepared by depositing In on the RT Si(557) surface and subsequent annealing at 500 °C. LEED show the In-induced surface reconstruction to have 1×3 phase, where the direction of the ×3 period is perpendicular to the step direction. In STM images, we found two kinds of atomic wires located at the step edge and within the terrace, respectively. The atomic chain within the terrace has obviously ×3 period along the chain direction, while the atomic chain at the step edge seems to have ×1 period along the chain direction. The atomic chains on the In-induced Si(557)1×3 is quite similar with those on the Au/Si(557) surface.³ We will explain the In-induced Si(557)1×3 surface in comparison with the Au/Si(557) surface.

¹ J. R. Ahn, J. H. Byun, H. Koh, E. Rotenberg, S. D. Kevan, and H. W. Yeom, Phys. Rev. Lett. 93, 106401 (2004)
² J. N. Crain, J. L. McChesney, Fan Zheng, M. C. Gallagher, P. C. Snijders, M. Bissen, C. Gundelach, S. C. Erwin, and F. J. Himpsel, Rhys. Rev. B 69, 125401 (2004)
³ M. Krawiec, T. Kwapinski, and M. Jalochowski, Phys. Rev. B 73, 075415 (2006).