Abstract
We report on experimental evidence for the formation of a two dimensional Si/Au(110) surface alloy. In this study, we have used a combination of scanning tunneling microscopy, low energy electron diffraction, Auger electron spectroscopy, and ab initio calculations based on density functional theory. A highly ordered and stable Si-Au surface alloy is observed subsequent to growth of a sub-monolayer of silicon on an Au(110) substrate kept above the eutectic temperature. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4735310]