It was recalled that face-centered cubic (110) surfaces were well known for their strong tendency to missing-row reconstructions, either in the clean state (Au, Pt) or when driven by adsorbates (Ni, Cu, Pd, Ag). Then-current knowledge on the

various reconstruction behaviours of flat (110) surfaces was reviewed. The survey focused on scanning tunnelling microscopy studies which, for the first time, had elucidated the dynamics of the reconstruction process for the various systems. An overview of previous scanning tunnelling microscopy and low-energy electron diffraction studies of vicinal Au(110) and Ni(110) surfaces was presented with the aim of achieving a deeper understanding of the influence of steps upon the reconstruction behaviour of fcc (110) surfaces and the stability of reconstructing vicinal surfaces. The reconstruction behaviour of Ir(110) was considered, which stabilized in the clean state via the formation of mesoscopic (331) facets and de-reconstructed to the (1 x 1) phase upon oxygen adsorption at 700 to 900K.

Reconstruction Behaviour of FCC(110) Transition Metal Surfaces and their Vicinals. R.Koch, M.Borbonus, O.Haase, K.H.Rieder: Applied Physics A, 1992, 55[5], 417-29