Study of Sb adsorption on the Si(0 0 1)–In(4 × 3) surface

The process of Sb adsorption onto Si(0 0 1)–In(4×3) surface phase has been studied using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED) and Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) techniques. Above 400 °C, Sb tends to destroy the initial In-induced phase and terminate the surface forming Sb/Si(0 0 1) interface. Between 400 and about 200 °C, however, the decomposition of In-induced reconstruction becomes partial; removing of In atoms from InSi bonds results in the relaxation of substrate atoms to the sequence of dimer rows separated by 4a0 which is also destroyed by further Sb adsorption. Below 200 °C, the (4×1) structure remains intact against Sb deposition. In this case, In and Sb atoms form disordered layer mediated by the corrugation of (4×1) structure.