Scanning tunneling microscope images of the Ag/Si(111)-{}3 ×{} {}3 surface have a strong dependence on bias-voltage polarity. Empty-state images show a characteristic honeycomb pattern with two maxima per unit cell. Filled-state images show protrusions in the positions of Ag atoms in the honeycomb-chain-trimer (HCT) model. These images strongly support recent electronic-structure calculations that are based on the HCT model for this surface. The registration of the {}3 ×{} {}3 features relative to the underlying Si(111) substrate is also measured. As part of this determination, the step height between adjacent {}3 ×{} {}3 and 7×{}7 areas is discussed in terms of the electronic structure of the two phases as measured by scanning tunneling spectroscopy.
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Wan et al. (1992) studied this question.