Elementary structural building blocks encountered in silicon surface reconstructions

TL;DR

This paper identifies fundamental structural building blocks in silicon surface reconstructions, explaining their integration into models and their effects on electronic properties, which advances understanding of surface chemistry.

Contribution

It introduces a classification of elementary building blocks in silicon surface reconstructions and analyzes their influence on surface electronic structure.

Findings

Identification of key elementary building blocks

Analysis of their role in surface model integration

Impact on electronic surface properties

Abstract

Driven by the reduction of dangling bonds and the minimization of surface stress, reconstruction of silicon surfaces leads to a striking diversity of outcomes. Despite this variety even very elaborate structures are generally comprised of a small number of structural building blocks. We here identify important elementary building blocks and discuss their integration into the structural models as well as their impact on the electronic structure of the surface.