The growth of Zn on a Si(1 0 0)-2×1 surface

Adsorption of Zn atoms on a Si(1 0 0)-2×1 surface was studied by scanning tunneling microscopy at room temperature. Narrow lines are grown perpendicular to the Si-dimer rows of the [1 1 0] direction at low coverage. The narrow line is formed by arraying rectangular Zn3 dots, where a dot is composed of one Zn atom on a Si dimer and the other two in the neighboring two hollow sites. When the Si(1 0 0)-2×1 surface is covered with one monolayer of Zn, a 4×1 structure is established. More deposition of Zn on the 4×1 monolayer grows into three-dimensional Zn islands.