Indium-induced Si(111)4x1 silicon substrate atom reconstruction

Atomic hydrogen interaction with the Si(111)4 x 1-In surface phase was studied using low-energy electron diffraction, Anger electron spectroscopy, and scanning tunneling microscopy. Upon hydrogen action mostly Si-ln 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 x 1-In surfacephase 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 x 1 Ag- and alkali-metals-induced substrate reconstruction.