The atomic structure of the group-III-rich surface of III-V semiconductor c
ompounds has been under intense debate for many years, yet none of the mode
ls agrees with the experimental data available. Here we present a model for
the three-dimensional structure of the (001)-c(8x2) reconstruction on InSb
, InAs, and GaAs surfaces based on surface x-ray diffraction data that was
analyzed by direct methods and subsequent least squares refinement. Contrar
y to common belief the main building blocks of the structure are not dimers
on the surface but subsurface dimers in the second bilayer. This essential
feature of the structure is accompanied by linear arrays of atoms on nonbu
lklike sites at the surface which, depending on the compounds, exhibit a ce
rtain degree of disorder. A tendency to group-III-dimer formation within th
ese chains increases when descending the periodic table. We propose that al
l the c(8 x 2) reconstructions of III-V semiconductor surfaces contain the
same essential building blocks.