  The main factor that determines which of the two domains form upon
reconstruction of the Si(110)"16 x 2" surface has been investigated. LEED and
STM images showed that the domain orientation was independent of the heating
current direction used to induce the Si(110)"16 x 2" reconstruction.
Reciprocal-space lattice models of the reconstruction allowed for the correct
identification of the domain orientations in the LEED images and confirm that
the reconstruction is 2D-chiral. It is proposed that the domain orientation
upon surface reconstruction is determined by the direction of monoatomic steps
present on the Si(110) plane. This is in turn determined by the direction at
which the surface is polished off-axis from the (110) plane.
