Highly stable Si atomic line formation on the beta-SiC(100) surface

We use scanning tunneling microscopy to evidence the controlled formation of straight, very long, and highly stable Si atomic lines self-organizing on the beta-SiC(100) surface. These atomic channels, which are composed of Si dimers, form at the phase transition between the 3 x 2 and c(4 x 2) reconstructions by selective Si atom organization. The presence of Si atomic lines is found to coincide systematically with a lateral mismatch between the c(4 x 2) Si-dimer rows. Their number and spacing are mediated by annealing time and temperature, resulting in unprecedented arrangements ranging from a very large superlattice to a single isolated atomic line.