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Real‐space visualization of the phase transition of the In/Si(111) system
Author(s) -
Lee Geunseop
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
surface and interface analysis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.52
H-Index - 90
eISSN - 1096-9918
pISSN - 0142-2421
DOI - 10.1002/sia.2417
Subject(s) - low energy electron diffraction , scanning tunneling microscope , phase (matter) , phase transition , diffraction , condensed matter physics , quantum tunnelling , chemistry , electron diffraction , spectroscopy , condensation , materials science , optics , physics , organic chemistry , quantum mechanics , thermodynamics
Low‐energy electron diffraction and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) were used to investigate the temperature‐induced phase transition of a room‐temperature 4 × 1 (4 × 1‐RT) phase of the In/Si(111) surface to a low‐temperature 8 × 2 (8 × 2‐LT) phase. Upon cooling, dark, one‐dimensional (1D) stripes appear inhomogeneously within the 4 × 1‐RT phase at temperatures above a transition temperature ( T c ), coalesce to form two‐dimensional (2D) islands, and the overall surface finally transforms into the 8 × 2‐LT phase below T c . The local current–voltage spectroscopy reveals that the dark 1D stripes inherit the nature of the low‐temperature phase, distinguishing it from the defect‐induced period‐doubling modulations. The fluctuations of the 1D stripes are observed in successive STM images. The presence of defects suppresses the 1D fluctuations, while it is obstructive to the 2D condensation of the LT phase below T c . Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.