Formation and atomic structure of ordered Sr-induced nanostrips on Ge(100)

The deposition of alkaline earths onto Ge(100) surfaces leads to well-ordered arrays of narrow trenches and elongated plateaus that extend for thousands of angstroms. Using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) in conjunction with density functional theory (DFT), the atomic scale details of these nanostructures are revealed and the driving force responsible for their formation is evaluated. The STM data reveal a dramatic contrast reversal when the polarity of the imaging bias is switched. An energetically favorable structure for the plateaus was found using DFT that can reproduce all of the observed features. This structure is based upon a double dimer vacancy model in which Sr atoms displace two Ge dimers from the surface. Interestingly, the ordered plateau-trench structure is unique to Ge(100) despite the structural and chemical similarities to the Si(100) surface.