Lithium adsorption on a clean Si(111) surface at 300C was studied using scanning tunnelling microscopy and low-energy electron diffraction. The (3 x 1) reconstruction of the Si(111)-(7 x 7) surface was observed at sub-monolayer Li coverages and after post-deposition annealing. It was found that there was a threshold, depending upon the Li coverage and annealing temperature, for the (3 x 1) structure formation process. However, there was no evidence of any √3 x √3 reconstruction of the Si(111) surface induced by lithium adsorption under these experimental conditions. By comparing the number of Li adatoms on a definite area of the Si(111) surface after deposition and annealing at 400C, it was proved that the (3 x 1) islands did not consist only Si atoms.

Scanning Tunnelling Microscopy Study of the (3 x 1) Reconstruction Induced by Li Adsorption on the Si(111) Surface. R.Z.Bakhtizin, C.Park, T.Hashizume, T.Sakurai: Applied Surface Science, 1995, 87-88, 347-52