An STM study of the surface defects of the [formula omitted]-Sn/Si(1 1 1) surface

The ( 3 × 3 ) -Sn/Si(1 1 1) surface has been studied with scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and Auger electron spectroscopy, and it is found that it contains basically five different types of defects originating from substitutional atoms and vacancies. The influence the defects have on their immediate neighbourhood is investigated and found to extend to the third nearest ( 3 × 3 ) adatom neighbour. Close to some defect constellations, a very local (3×3) periodicity in the apparent height in the STM images is found. This periodicity is shown to be a linear superposition of the perturbations generated by the individual defects in the constellations. The superposition of the height modulation is accurate and linear for a wide range of tip biases, as for combinations of different types of defects. Its linearity is explained in terms of small perturbations in the surface electronic structure. We also provide an explanation why the linearity breaks down when large perturbations are probed with small tip biases.