Atomic structure of a long-range ordered vicinal surface of SrTiO 3

Torrelles, Xavier; Zegenhagen, J.; Rius, J.; Gloege, Th.; Cao, L. X. and Moritz, Wolfgang (2005): Atomic structure of a long-range ordered vicinal surface of SrTiO 3. In: Surface Science, Vol. 589, No. 1-3: pp. 184-191

Abstract

We solved the structure of SrTiO3(1 0 6) by grazing incidence X-ray diffraction and direct methods. The surface exhibits SrO and TiO 2 terminated half-steps, which are unstrained and the surface atoms are practically in their bulk-like positions. The resulting wavy surface exhibits an astonishing degree of long-range order, which is established by the alternating, weakly polar surface terminations. Since cation sites are partially occupied toward step edges, the surface is very smooth but lacks short-range order. This is very different from the behavior observed for metal and semiconductor surfaces, where stress resulting from short-range reconstruction is the driving force behind long-range order.

• Item Type: Journal article
• Faculties: Geosciences > Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences > Crystallography and Materials Science
• Subjects: 500 Science > 550 Earth sciences and geology
• Language: English