First-order surface-structure transition on the (001) InAs surface studied with improved high-energy electron reflectivity measurements

The electron-beam specular reflectivity of an InAs(001) surface was quantitatively measured as current through an electrode at several substrate temperatures. The reflectivity changes discontinuously at the reconstruction transition from As-stable (2×{}4) to In-stable (4×{}2) with hysteresis cycle as a function of the substrate temperature, indicating a first-order transition. The reflectivity change during As desorption shows that the desorption rate has a local minimum at the transition because of the existence of a metastable state due to the first-order transition.