Reflectance-difference (RD) measurements for the oxidation of single-domain (2x1)-reconstructed Si(001) surfaces show that the polarity of the interface-induced optical anisotropy is reversed repeatedly with increasing oxide thickness. The oscillation of the RD amplitude, which we show is due to layer-by-layer progression of the oxidation, has allowed us to count the number of oxidized Si layers in situ during oxidation. The origins of the observed spectral line shape are discussed.

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