A (23×213) surface phase in the 6H–SiC(0001) surface studied by scanning tunneling microscopy

Abstract

The structure of Si-rich 6H–SiC(0001) surfaces has been investigated by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and low-energy electron diffraction. We observed a surface phase with (−2 4 26) periodicity (designated as (23×213) for convenience), coexisting with the known stable (3×3) phase, in a surface obtained by annealing the (3×3) surface at 800 °C. A structural model containing eight Si adatoms per unit cell on the Si adlayer is proposed, which is consistent with the present STM images and with the extension of the (3×3) model structure.