GROWTH-MORPHOLOGY AND STRUCTURE OF BISMUTH THIN-FILMS ON GASB(110)

Photoelectron spectroscopy, low-energy electron diffraction, scanning tunneling microscopy and surface X-ray diffraction were used to invest igate the growth of thin layers of bismuth on GaSb(110). At submonolay er coverages, growth of two-dimensional islands occurs. A uniform (1 x I)-reconstruction is formed at a coverage of one monolayer. A structu ral model derived from X-ray diffraction data is presented for this ph ase. The (1 x I)-phase consists of zigzag chains of bismuth atoms bond ed alternately to the surface cations and anions of the bulk-terminate d unrelaxed (110) surface. We propose that the (1 x 1)-phases formed b y antimony and bismuth adsorbates on (110) surfaces of other III-V com pound semiconductors are also described by the epitaxial continued lay er model. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.