In situ high-temperature scanning tunnelling microscopy was performed on the Sb-induced Si(111) reconstruction surface during Sb desorption. The dynamic process of three structural phase transitions: from (√3 x √3)R30°-Sb structure to (2 x 1)-Sb structure, from (2 x 1)-Sb to (5√3 x 5√3)R30°-Sb and from (5√3 x 5√3)R30°-Sb to (5 x 5)-Sb were investigated. It was found that the (5√3 x 5√3)R30°-Sb structure changed into the (5 x 5)-Sb structure, which was not observed by previous studies, and that the (5 x 5)-Sb structure subsequently changed into the (7 x 7)-Sb structure. The atomically resolved Si(111)-(5√3 x 5√3)R30°-Sb structure was observed for the first time. A structure model of the (5√3 x 5√3)R30°-Sb surface was proposed, which could explain the behaviour of the boundary between (2 x 1)-Sb and (5√3 x 5√3)R30°-Sb regions.

Dynamic Process of Structural Phase Transitions on the Sb-Induced Si(111) Reconstruction Surface Observed by High-Temperature Scanning Tunnelling Microscopy. Y.Kusumi, K.Fujita, M.Ichikawa: Surface Science, 1997, 372[1-3], 28-36