Reflection high-energy electron diffraction and scanning tunnelling microscopy were used to study reconstruction of the (311)A surface. It was found that, during and after molecular beam epitaxy,  in situ  reflection high-energy electron diffraction studies of the surface revealed a lateral periodicity of 3.2nm; perpendicular to the [2¯33] direction. This periodicity was confirmed by means of  in situ  scanning tunnelling microscopy. The height of this periodic surface structure was 2 monolayers (0.34nm). It was shown how this reconstruction, which was characterized by a dimerization of the surface As atoms, could be found by using a simple electron-counting model. An excellent agreement with experimental results further supported this model, which had already been found to explain the reconstructions of the (100) and (111) surfaces.

M.Wassermeier, J.Sudijono, M.D.Johnson, K.T.Leung, B.G.Orr, L.Däweritz, K.Ploog: Journal of Crystal Growth, 1995, 150[1-4], 425-30