Scanning tunneling microscopy study of the anatase (100) surface

Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) has been used to investigate the structure of the TiO2 anatase (1 0 0) surface. Natural single crystals of anatase were employed; and after several cycles of sputtering and annealing at T = 450 degreesC, the TiO2(1 0 0) surface was free of impurities, and reconstructed to a (1 x n) termination. No evidence for point defects was found in the atomic resolution STM images. The STM results were accounted for on the basis of a surface structure model in which (1 0 1)-oriented microfacets run along the anatase [0 1 0] direction. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.