Subsurface Dimerization in III-V Semiconductor (001) Surfaces

C. Kumpf; L. D. Marks; D. Ellis; D. Smilgies; E. Landemark; M. Nielsen; R. Feidenhans'l; J. Zegenhagen; O. Bunk; J. H. Zeysing; Y. Su; R. L. Johnson

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.86.3586

Subsurface Dimerization in III-V Semiconductor (001) Surfaces

C. Kumpf, L. D. Marks, D. Ellis, D. Smilgies, E. Landemark, M. Nielsen, R. Feidenhans'l, J. Zegenhagen, O. Bunk, J. H. Zeysing, Y. Su, and R. L. Johnson

Phys. Rev. Lett. 86, 3586 – Published 16 April 2001

Abstract

We present the atomic structure of the $c (8 \times 2)$ reconstructions of InSb-, InAs-, and GaAs-(001) surfaces as determined by surface x-ray diffraction using direct methods. Contrary to common belief, group III dimers are not prominent on the surface, instead subsurface dimerization of group III atoms takes place in the second bilayer, accompanied by a major rearrangement of the surface atoms above the dimers to form linear arrays. By varying the occupancies of four surface sites the $(001) - c (8 \times 2)$ reconstructions of III-V semiconductors can be described in a unified model.

Received 21 September 2000

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.86.3586

Authors & Affiliations

C. Kumpf^1,*, L. D. Marks², D. Ellis³, D. Smilgies¹, E. Landemark¹, M. Nielsen¹, R. Feidenhans'l¹, J. Zegenhagen⁴, O. Bunk⁵, J. H. Zeysing⁵, Y. Su⁵, and R. L. Johnson⁵

¹Condensed Matter Physics and Chemistry Department, Risø National Laboratory, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark
²Department of Material Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208
³Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208
⁴European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, BP 220, F-38043 Grenoble Cedex, France
⁵II. Institut für Experimentalphysik, Universität Hamburg, D-22761 Hamburg, Germany

^*Corresponding author. Present address: Experimentelle Physik II, Universität Würzburg, Am Hubland, D-97074 Würzburg, Germany.Email address: kumpf@physik.uni-wuerzburg.de