Abstract
Scanning tunneling microcopy (STM) studies of the fivefold surface of icosahedral Al-Cu-Fe (i-Al-Cu-Fe) quasicrystals are presented. A thorough analysis of high resolution images combined with a refined structure model leads to a rule for stable surface formation of Al-based icosahedral quasicrystals. Bi islands formed on this surface exhibit prominent stability at a specific thickness, showing evidence of quantum size effects.
