Example of a compound semiconductor surface that mimics silicon: The InP(001)-(2x1) reconstruction

An InP(001)-(2 x 1) reconstruction was prepared by metal-organic vapor-phas e epitaxy. Scanning tunneling micrographs and infrared spectra of adsorbed hydrogen revealed that the (2 x 1) is terminated with a complete layer of b uckled phosphorous dimers, giving rise to p(2 x 2) and c(4 x 2) domains. A surface band gap of 1.2 +/- 0.2 eV was measured by scanning tunneling spect roscopy. The buckling can be explained by electron correlation among the da ngling bonds of pairs of phosphorous dimers. This allows the surface to ach ieve a lower energy, semiconducting state. This reconstruction mimics the S i(100)-(2 x 1), which is terminated with buckled silicon dimers. [S0031-900 7(99)08534-8].