Entry 01 Surface Structures of Silicon
Because the absence of neighboring atoms on one side, the forces acting on surface atoms are different from those acting on atoms in bulk crystals. Therefore, the surface structures may be different from the corresponding crystal structures. This is especially true for silicon, which has the one of the most complicated surface reconstructions — Si(111)7x7.
This entry focuses on the both the ideal and reconstructed surface structures of silicon. Prepared to be amazed by the complexity and beauty of the structures built by the laws of thermodynamics.
Click here to read the full entry.