It was pointed out that the c(4 x 4) reconstruction could be formed on a clean (100) surface by using suitable surface treatments. The metastable phase was here prepared by exposure to H, followed by annealing. Its characteristics were investigated by using scanning tunnelling microscopy and first-principles total-energy calculations. A new model was developed which assumed the presence of 2 types of surface dimer which were oriented parallel to, and perpendicular to, the underlying (2 x 1) dimer rows. The results therefore agreed with a previously proposed missing dimer model.

R.I.G.Uhrberg, J.E.Northrup, D.K.Biegelsen, R.D.Bringans, L.E.Swartz: Physical Review B, 1992, 46[16], 10251-6