An STM study of the Si(0 0 1)(2×4)-Dy surface

Dy grows on the Si(0 0 1) surface in a Stranski–Krastanov mode, where silicide islands coexist with a reconstructed substrate surface. This paper examines the superstructure of a 2×4 reconstruction of the substrate. A proposed atomic model for the surface is related to the structure of the bulk Dy silicide, in which one deposited Dy atom replaces one Si dimer on the top layer and is located in a similar position to that of Dy atoms in the silicide. As a result, the 2D reconstruction is believed to be the first step to forming a silicide.