The reconstruction of the (311)A surface was studied using reflection high-energy electron diffraction and scanning tunnelling microscopic techniques. The surface which was observed  in situ  using reflection high-energy electron diffraction, during molecular-beam epitaxy, was characterized by a lateral periodicity of 3.2nm perpendicular to the [¯233] direction. This periodicity was confirmed by using  in situ  scanning tunnelling microscopy. High-resolution scanning tunnelling microscopic images also revealed a reconstruction that was characterized by dimerization of the surface As atoms. It was shown that the reconstruction could be formed by using a simple electron-counting model. An excellent agreement with experimental data further supported this model, which had already been found to explain reconstruction of the (100) and (111) surfaces. In order to form a semiconducting surface, the 3 uppermost layers were involved in the reconstruction process; giving rise to a depth modulation of 0.34nm.

M.Wassermeier, J.Sudijono, M.D.Johnson, K.T.Leung, B.G.Orr, L.Däweritz, K.Ploog: Physical Review B, 1995, 51[20], 14721-4