Fe3O4(110)-(1x3) Revisited: Periodic (111) Nano-Facets

TL;DR

This study investigates the Fe3O4(110)-(1x3) surface reconstruction, revealing it as a periodic faceting of {111} planes with lower surface energy, using STM, LEED, and RHEED techniques.

Contribution

It provides a detailed atomic-scale characterization of the Fe3O4(110)-(1x3) surface reconstruction and clarifies its origin as periodic {111} nano-facets.

Findings

Reconstruction is due to periodic faceting exposing {111} planes.

Bright rows extend hundreds of nanometers in the [1-10] direction.

Periodicity of 2.52 nm in the [001] direction.

Abstract

The structure of the Fe3O4(110)-(1x3) surface was studied with scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), low-energy electron diffraction (LEED), and reflection high energy electron diffraction (RHEED). The so-called one-dimensional reconstruction is characterised by bright rows that extend hundreds of nanometers in the [1-10] direction and have a periodicity of 2.52 nm in [001] in STM. It is concluded that this reconstruction is the result of a periodic faceting to expose {111}-type planes with a lower surface energy.