Single-domained Si(110)-'16x2' surface

Micrometer-wide, single-domain of 16x2 reconstruction, the array of straight monoatomic steps, has been fabricated on Si(110) surface by means of controlled electromigration of surface atoms. The electromigration effect during DC current heating is found to line-up the reconstruction rows when the current direction matches to the direction of the rows. This provides not only a well-controlled surface preparation method for Si(110), but also a new template for low-dimensional nanostructures