It was noted that, driven by the reduction of numbers of dangling bonds and the minimization of surface stress, reconstruction of silicon surfaces led to a wide range of outcomes. Even the very elaborate structures were usually made up of a small number of structural building blocks. Important elementary building blocks were identified. Their integration into the structural models, as well as their impact upon the electronic structure of the surface, were considered.

Elementary Structural Building Blocks Encountered in Silicon Surface Reconstructions. C.Battaglia, K.Gaál-Nagy, C.Monney, C.Didiot, E.F.Schwier, M.G.Garnier, G.Onida, P.Aebi: Journal of Physics - Condensed Matter, 2009, 21[1], 013001 (8pp)