Structure of Si(113) determined by scanning tunneling microscopy

The Si(113) surface is very stable despite its high index but until now its atomic structure has been uncertain. Using a scanning tunneling microscope, we have obtained images of both empty and filled states which provide strong evidence for a particular structural model with a 3×{}2 unit cell. We explain our results in terms of a general rehybridization principle which accounts for the low surface energy and the spatial distribution of empty and filled states. Our images reveal a high density of domain boundaries which introduce energy states that pin the Fermi level and explain earlier reports of a 3×{}1 reconstruction.