Surface structures of tellurium on Si(111)-(7x7) studied by low-energy electron diffraction and scanning tunneling microscopy.

•Te deposition on Si(111)-(7×7) studied as function of the substrate temperature.•Deposition at Tsample=770 K results in Te clusters in the (7×7) half unit cells.•Deposition at Tsample=920 K forms a Te/Si(111)-(23×23)R30° surface reconstruction.•Te/Si(111)-(23×23)R30° has an atomically flat surface with threefold symmetry.•Heating the sample to 970 K recovers the clean Si(111)-(7×7) surface.