Yb and Nd growth on Si(0 0 1)

The growth behavior of Yb and Nd on Si(0 0 1) was studied using scanning tunneling microscopy and low-energy electron diffraction. At low coverage, 2×3 and 2×4 surface reconstructions were obtained for both the elements, as well as a 6×2 phase which prevails at intermediate coverage. Above 1.2 monolayers, the substrate showed 3×1 periodicity, and two different classes of 3D islands were observed for both Nd and Yb.