Surfactant-mediated growth of an ordered flat film of an intrinsic liquid metal on a semiconductor surface: Ga on Si(111)-4x1-In

The morphology and atomic depth distribution of Ga films grown on Si(111)-7x7 and -4x1-In surfaces at room temperature were studied by using reflection high-energy electron diffraction and characteristic x-ray measurements as functions of glancing angle θg of the incident electron beam. Ga grew into liquid droplets on the Si(111)-7x7 surface, as it does on many other semiconductors. On the other hand, on the 4x1-In surface, Ga grew into an ordered flat film and In floated to the uppermost layer during the growth process of Ga. The resultant top In layer and Ga-Si interface had √(3)/2x√(3)/2 and 5x5 periodicities, respectively