Atomic Structure of Antiphase Domain Boundaries of a ThinAl2O3Film on NiAl(110)

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Abstract
Line defects of a thin alumina film on NiAl(110) have been studied on the atomic level with scanning tunneling microscopy at 4 K. While boundaries between two reflection domains do not expose a characteristic structure, antiphase domain boundaries are well ordered. The latter boundaries result from the insertion of a row of O atoms, as atomically resolved images of the topmost oxygen layer show. The insertion occurs only in two of the three characteristic directions of the quasihexagonal O lattice. Depending on the direction, either straight or zigzagged boundaries form. An atomic characterization of line defects on the oxide surface is a first step to correlate their topographic structure and chemical activity.