Mesoscopic self-structuring on metal surfaces: Geometry and electronic structure

The relation between surface stress and surface reconstruction and the elec tronic origin of surface stress are briefly discussed. Three examples of st ress induced mesoscopic self-structuring on metal surfaces are presented, n amely O/Cu(110), Au(lll) and Pt(110). While the principles underlying the d omain formation on the first two systems seem to be understood quite well, the origin of the periodic hill-and-valley structure of Pt(110) is not yet clear. The confinement of electronic surface states in stress induced quasi one-dimensional domains was studied recently by photoemission on O/Cu(110) and by scanning tunneling spectroscopy on Au(lll). The results are briefly reviewed. The same basic effects were found in the two different studies.