Published online by Cambridge University Press: 15 February 2011
Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) is used to study the structure of Al-√3×√3 domains on the Si(111)-7×7 surface and the atomic arrangement near the domain boundary. Al-√3×√3 domains grow from the lower side of the <112> step and extend over the Si-7×7 terrace. The phase transition is observed to occur in units of the 7×7 size. Detailed investigation at around the boundary reveals that faulted halves of the 7×7 unit are adjacent to the boundary on the Si-7×7 side, while on the Al-√3×√3 side, Al adatoms occupy the T4 sites except for the rows adjacent to the phase boundaries where Al atoms occupy the Si adatom sites. The latter Al atoms play an important role to retain the dimer structure at the boundary.