Characterization of wet‐etched GaAs (100) surfaces

To enable the use of GaAs‐based devices as chemical sensors, their surfaces must be chemically modified. Reproducible adsorption of molecules in the liquid phase on the GaAs surfaces requires controlled etching procedures. Several analytical methods were applied, including Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIRS) in attenuated total reflection and multiple internal reflection mode (ATR/MIR), high‐resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy (HREELS), X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) for the analysis of GaAs (100) samples treated with different wet‐etching procedures. The assignment of the different features due to surface oxides present in the vibrational and XPS spectra was made by comparison with those of powdered oxides (Ga₂O₃, As₂O₃ and As₂O₅). The etching procedures here described, namely, those using low concentration HF solutions, substantially decrease the amount of arsenic oxides and aliphatic contaminants present in the GaAs (100) surfaces and completely remove gallium oxides. The mean thickness of the surface oxide layer drops from 1.6 nm in the raw sample to 0.1 nm after etching. However, in presence of light, water dissolution of arsenic oxides is enhanced, and oxidized species of gallium cover the surface. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

砷化镓半导体表面自然氧化层的X射线光电子能谱分析

用X射线光电子能谱(XPS)，测量了Ga3d和As3d光电子峰的结合能值，指认了砷化镓(GaAs)晶片表面的氧化物组成，计算了表面氧化层的厚度，定量分析了表面的化学组成；比较了几种不同的砷化镓晶片表面的差异。结果表明：砷化镓表面的自然氧化层主要由Ga2O3、As2O5、As2O3和单质As组成，表面镓砷比明显偏离理想的化学计量比，而且，氧化层的厚度随镓砷比的增大而增加；溶液处理后，砷化镓表面得到了改善。讨论了可能的机理。     

GaAs(100)表面氧化的XPS研究

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy（XPS）was used to study two different oxidation treatments on the GaAs（100）surface———the thermal oxidation in the air,and the ultraviolet-light oxidation in the UV-ozone. A series of properties including the oxide composition,chemical states,the surface Ga/As atomic ratio and the thickness of the oxide layer grown on GaAs surface were compared. The results indicate that the oxide composition,the surface Ga / As atomic ratio and the thickness of the oxide layer oxide on GaAs surface are different for different oxidation methods. The oxides on GaAs surface grown by thermal oxidation in the air are composed of Ga2O3,As2O5,As2O3 and elemental As;and the Ga/As atomic ratio is drifted off the stoichiometry far away. The Ga/As atomic ratio of oxide layer on GaAs surface is increases with the thickness of oxide. However,the oxides on GaAs surface grown by UV-ozone are made up of only Ga2O3 and As2O3,As2O5 and elemental As are not detected,the Ga/As atomic ratio is close to unity. The thickness of oxide layer on GaAs can be controlled by the UV exposing time. The mechanism of oxidation of GaAs is also discussed. The UV-light radiation not only causes the oxygen molecular excited forming atomic oxygen,but also induces the valence electrons of the GaAs excited from the valence band,and then the reactivity of Ga and As atom increase,and they can easily react with the excited atomic oxygen at the same reactive velocity.     

High-resolution electron-energy-loss spectroscopy of surface and interface phonons in multilayered materials

Long-wavelength surface and interface phonons have been investigated by high-resolution electron-energy-loss spectroscopy (HREELS) in two heterostructures grown by molecular-beam epitaxy. The first system is a CaF₂ insulating layer on Si(1 1 1), while the second consists of GaAs/AlAs superlattices grown on a thick GaAs(0 0 1) substrate. The HREELS experimental results are successfully explained by the dielectric theory, with some refinements brought about by lattice dynamics calculations.     

XPS study of impurities in Si‐doped AlN film

This paper reports an XPS study of impurities in a 100‐nm‐thick AlN film grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) under low pressure on the n‐type 6H‐SiC substrate. The Si‐doped AlN film was characterized by the X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) in a high vacuum system, which reveals the content distribution and chemical states of impurities along depth. The XPS analysis of AlN film before and after argon‐ion etching indicates that there always exist Ga, O and C contaminations in AlN film. Especially, O contamination on the AlN film surface is mostly introduced during the growth of AlN layer by MOCVD. Meanwhile, most of O atoms bind with Al or Ga in Al―O and Ga―O chemical states. In particular, the Ga atoms in AlN film are always in two chemical states, i.e. Ga―Ga bond and Ga―O bond, which demonstrates that the aggregation of Ga is accompanying with AlN growth. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Density control of dodecamanganese clusters anchored on silicon(100)

A synthetic strategy to control the density of Mn12 clusters anchored on silicon(100) was investigated. Diluted monolayers suitable for Mn12 anchoring were prepared by Si-grafting mixtures of the methyl 10-undecylenoate precursor ligand with 1-decene spectator spacers. Different ratios of these mixtures were tested. The grafted surfaces were hydrolyzed to reveal the carboxylic groups available for the subsequent exchange with the [Mn12O12(OAc)16(H2O)4]4 H2O2 AcOH cluster. Modified surfaces were analyzed by attenuated total reflection (ATR)-FTIR spectroscopy, X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS), and AFM imaging. Results of XPS and ATR-FTIR spectroscopy show that the surface mole ratio between grafted ester and decene is higher than in the source solution. The surface density of the Mn12 cluster is, in turn, strictly proportional to the ester mole fraction. Well-resolved and isolated clusters were observed by AFM, using a diluted ester/decene 1:1 solution.     

Formation of alkanethiol monolayer on Ge(111).

Alkanethiols, CH3(CH2)(n-1)SH, are shown to react readily with HF-treated Ge(111) surface at room temperature to form a high-quality monolayer. The resulting films are characterized by using contact angle analysis (CAA), atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE), and high-resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy (HREELS). The octanethiol and octadecanethiol films on Ge(111) both exhibit 101 degrees and 40 degrees water and hexadecane contact angles, respectively. These values indicate that the thiol surface coverage is relatively high, and that the films possess a high degree of orientational ordering. The angle-resolved XPS analysis supports that thiols are bound to the Ge surface by Ge-S bonds at the monolayer/Ge interface. The film thickness values obtained by XPS and SE agree well with the earlier reported values on alkyl monolayers on Ge(111) prepared by Grignard reaction. On the basis of HREEL spectra taken after thermal annealing steps, the monolayers are found to be thermally stable up to 450 K. The thermal stability provides further evidence that thiols are covalently bonded to Ge(111).     

Covalent attachment of TAT peptides and thiolated alkyl molecules on GaAs surfaces

Four TAT peptide fragments were used to functionalize GaAs surfaces by adsorption from solution. In addition, two well-studied alkylthiols, mercaptohexadecanoic acid (MHA) and 1-octadecanethiol (ODT) were utilized as references to understand the structure of the TAT peptide monolayer on GaAs. The different sequences of TAT peptides were employed in recognition experiments where a synthetic RNA sequence was tested to verify the specific interaction with the TAT peptide. The modified GaAs surfaces were characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and Fourier transform infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy (FT-IRRAS). AFM studies were used to compare the surface roughness before and after functionalization. XPS allowed us to characterize the chemical composition of the GaAs surface and conclude that the monolayers composed of different sequences of peptides have similar surface chemistries. Finally, FT-IRRAS experiments enabled us to deduce that the TAT peptide monolayers have a fairly ordered and densely packed alkyl chain structure. The recognition experiments showed preferred interaction of the RNA sequence toward peptides with high arginine content.     

New hybrid films based on cellulose and hydroxygallium phthalocyanine. Synergetic effects in the structure and properties

Hydroxygallium phthalocyanine (HOGaPc) and cellulose (from a trimethylsilyl derivative) have been used as native elements for the preparation of a novel family of hybrid films. By spin-coating, both components allow the building of films with different configurations on various substrates in a controlled way. The particularities of these hybrid films have been characterized by a range of techniques such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIRS) in attenuated total reflection using multiple internal reflections (ATR/MIR), absorption ultraviolet and visible spectroscopy (UV-vis), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and surface potential measurements using the Kelvin-Zisman vibrating capacitor probe (KP). This enabled determination of the influence of cellulose on the arrangement of HOGaPc and, consequently, control of the relation between the structure and the properties of the films. Finally, gas sensor tests were performed to check the potentialities of these hybrid films. In particular, the synergetic behavior between the film-forming materials allows a fast and sensible change in surface potential after cyclic exposures to ozone (O3, 100 ppb) and nitrogen. Overall, we present the advantages of combining phthalocyanine with cellulose in enhancing the properties of the final product. Introduction of cellulose as a host material opens up a new area of hybrid films.     

A polarised ATR study of structural orientation in dry and humid thin HPMC films

The structure of thin films of the polymer hypromellose (HPMC) have been investigated under dry and ambient humidity conditions using polarised attenuated total reflectance (ATR) infrared spectroscopy. In particular spectra were recorded in the C–H and O–H stretching regions for spin coated films deposited on silicon, germanium and zinc selenide internal reflection elements (IREs). A recent development in the field of polarised ATR has demonstrated a simple quantitative relationship between complementary s- and p-polarised spectra of orientationally ordered monolayer films, which yields the spectrum uniquely in the direction perpendicular to the surface, the “z-polarised” spectrum. As well as recording s- and p-polarised spectra this work examines the z-spectra derived from the experimental s- and p-polarisation spectra. For the C–H band all three polarisation spectra reveal no change in the preferred orientation of the transition dipole between humid and dry films on germanium or silicon but with a marginally increased orientation parallel to the surface on zinc selenide. On the other hand the O–H band spectra show an increased orientation of the transition dipole parallel to the surface for both humid and dried films for all three IREs when compared to the corresponding C–H band spectra. This effect was greater in the dried film, i.e. with free water removed, than in the humid film.     

Atomic imaging of nucleation of trimethylaluminum on clean and H2O functionalized Ge(100) surfaces

The direct reaction of trimethylaluminum (TMA) on a Ge(100) surface and the effects of monolayer H(2)O pre-dosing were investigated using ultrahigh vacuum techniques, such as scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS), and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and density functional theory (DFT). At room temperature (RT), a saturation TMA dose produced 0.8 monolayers (ML) of semi-ordered species on a Ge(100) surface due to the dissociative chemisorption of TMA. STS confirmed the chemisorption of TMA passivated the bandgap states due to dangling bonds. By annealing the TMA-dosed Ge surface, the STM observed coverage of TMA sites decreased to 0.4 ML at 250?°C, and to 0.15 ML at 450?°C. XPS analysis showed that only carbon content was reduced during annealing, while the Al coverage was maintained at 0.15 ML, consistent with the desorption of methyl (-CH(3)) groups from the TMA adsorbates. Conversely, saturation TMA dosing at RT on the monolayer H(2)O pre-dosed Ge(100) surface followed by annealing at 200?°C formed a layer of Ge-O-Al bonds with an Al coverage a factor of two greater than the TMA only dosed Ge(100), consistent with Ge-OH activation of TMA chemisorption and Ge-H blocking of CH(3) chemisorption. The DFT shows that the reaction of TMA has lower activation energy and is more exothermic on Ge-OH than Ge-H sites. It is proposed that the H(2)O pre-dosing enhances the concentration of adsorbed Al and forms thermally stable Ge-O-Al bonds along the Ge dimer row which could serve as a nearly ideal atomic layer deposition nucleation layer on Ge(100) surface.     

Ni/Pt(111) bimetallic surfaces: unique chemistry at monolayer ni coverage.

We have utilized the dehydrogenation and hydrogenation of cyclohexene as probe reactions to compare the chemical reactivity of Ni overlayers that are grown epitaxially on a Pt(111) surface. The reaction pathways of cyclohexene were investigated using temperature-programmed desorption, high-resolution electron energy loss (HREELS), and near edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy. Our results provide conclusive spectroscopic evidence that the adsorption and subsequent reactions of cyclohexene are unique on the monolayer Ni surface as compared to those on the clean Pt(111) surface or the thick Ni(111) film. HREELS and NEXAFS studies show that cyclohexene is weakly pi-bonded on monolayer Ni/Pt(111) but di-sigma-bonded to Pt(111) and Ni(111). In addition, a new hydrogenation pathway is detected on the monolayer Ni surface at temperatures as low as 245 K. By exposing the monolayer Ni/Pt(111) surface to D2 prior to the adsorption of cyclohexene, the total yield of the normal and deuterated cyclohexanes increases by approximately 5-fold. Furthermore, the reaction pathway for the complete decomposition of cyclohexene to atomic carbon and hydrogen, which has a selectivity of 69% on the thick Ni(111) film, is nearly negligible (<2%) on the monolayer Ni surface. Overall, the unique chemistry of the monolayer Ni/Pt(111) surface can be explained by the weaker interaction between adsorbates and the monolayer Ni film. These results also point out the possibility of manipulating the chemical properties of metals by controlling the overlayer thickness.     

Fabrication of photosensitive multilayer films based on polyoxometalate and diazoresin

A novel photosensitive organic-inorganic composite film incorporating polyoxometalate, K7[SiW11O39Co(H3P2O7)] (SiW11CoPP), and diazoresin (DR) has been prepared via layer-by-layer (LBL) self-assembly. Under UV irradiation, followed the decomposition of diazonium in DR, the ionic bonds between the adjacent interfaces of the multilayer film convert to covalent bonds. The LBL multilayers were characterized by UV-vis spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS), atomic force microscopy (AFM), FTIR spectrum, cyclic voltammograms (CV), and electron spin resonance (ESR) measurements. UV spectroscopy shows that the deposition process is regular and highly reproducible from layer to layer. XPS spectra confirm the incorporation of DR and SiW(11)CoPP into the films. Atomic force microscopy image indicates that the film surface is uniform and smooth. Solvent etching experiment proves that the film has significant stability towards polar solvent. Electrochemical behavior of the multilayers is investigated.     

聚苯乙炔LB多层膜及其光电导性能的研究

制备了聚苯乙炔（ＰＰＡ）ＬＢ多层膜，将其作为电荷产生层首次应用于机能分离型光电导体领域．从π Ａ曲线发现，ＰＰＡ单分子膜具有表面压力的各向异性和松弛特性．ＴＥＭ照片显示，ＰＰＡ分子链在ＬＢ膜中有序排列．转移比和ＸＰＳ的研究表明，复合膜沉积均匀．与ＰＰＡ涂膜相比，以ＰＰＡ ＬＢ多层膜作为电荷产生层的光电导体表面充电电位Ｖ０＝１３４５Ｖ，光照１ｓ后的光衰百分比ΔＶ１ｓ＝６５０５％，半衰时间ｔ１／２＝０５８ｓ，具有更优异的光电导性能．     

Attachment of alkyltrichlorosilanes to the terminal 3,5-dihydroxyphenyl moiety of a self-assembled thiol monolayer on gold

The synthesis of 5-(6-mercaptohexyloxy)-1,3-dihydroxybenzene and the formation of a self-assembled monolayer on polycrystalline gold using this compound are described. Methyltrichlorosilane and (tridecafluoro-1,1,2,2-tetrahydrooctyl)trichlorosilane were attached to the 3,5-dihydroxyphenyl terminus of the monolayer. The modified surfaces were studied by contact angle measurement, XPS, and cyclic voltammetry. High contact angles of 119 degrees -128 degrees were observed for the semifluoroalkylsilyl-functionalized monolayer. These high contact angles were maintained after subjecting the surface to, e.g., boiling in water or heating in air to 300 degrees C. Characterization of the silane-modified monolayers by XPS indicated more than one layer of silane present at the top of the monolayer. The thickness was reduced after boiling the cross-linked monolayers in H(2)O, however, maintaining high contact angles. Cyclic voltammetry studies revealed that the semifluoroalkylsilyl-functionalized surface showed a higher blocking capability and a higher electrochemical stability than the parent monolayer.     

A [4+2]-like cycloaddition of methyl methacrylate on Si(100)-2 x 1

The attachment of methyl methacrylate (MMA) on Si(100)-2x1 was investigated using high-resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy (HREELS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS), and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The HREELS spectra of chemisorbed MMA show the disappearance of characteristic vibrations of C=O (1725 cm(-1)) and C(sp(2))-H (3110, 1400, and 962 cm(-1)) coupled with the blue shift of the C=C stretching mode by 34 cm(-1) compared to those of physisorbed molecules. These results clearly demonstrate that both C=C and C=O in MMA directly participate in the interaction with the surface to form a SiCH(2)C(CH(3))=C(OCH(3))OSi species via a [4+2]-like cycloaddition. This binding configuration was further supported by XPS, UPS, and DFT studies.     

Spectroscopic Monitoring of the Acidity of Water Films on Ru(0001): Orientation‐Specific Acidity of Adsorbed Water

We examined the acid–base properties of water films adsorbed onto a Ru(0001) substrate by using surface spectroscopic methods in vacuum environments. Ammonia adsorption experiments combined with low‐energy sputtering (LES), reactive ion scattering (RIS), reflection–absorption infrared spectroscopy (RAIRS) and temperature‐programmed desorption (TPD) measurements showed that the adsorbed water is acidic enough to transfer protons to ammonia. Only the water molecules in an intact water monolayer and water clusters larger than the hexamer exhibit such acidity, whereas small clusters, a thick ice film or a partially dissociated water monolayer that contains OH, H₂O and H species are not acidic. The observations indicate the orientation‐specific acidity of adsorbed water. The acidity stems from water molecules with H‐down adsorption geometry present in the monolayer. However, the dissociation of water into H and OH on the surface does not promote but rather suppresses the proton transfer to ammonia.     

Interaction of water with ordered theta-Al(2)O(3) ultrathin films grown on NiAl(100)

The structure of an ordered, ultrathin theta-Al(2)O(3) film grown on a NiAl(100) single-crystal surface was studied by Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and low-energy electron diffraction (LEED), and its interaction with water was investigated with temperature programmed desorption (TPD) and XPS. Our results indicate that H(2)O adsorption on the theta-Al(2)O(3)/NiAl(100) surface is predominantly molecular rather than dissociative. For theta(H)()2(O) < 1 ML (ML = monolayer), H(2)O molecules were found to populate Al(3+) cation sites to form isolated H(2)O species aligned in a row along the cation sites on the oxide surface with a repulsive interaction between them. For theta(H)()2(O) > 1 ML, three-dimensional ice multilayers were observed to form, which then desorb during TPD with approximate zero-order kinetics as expected. A small extent of H(2)O dissociation was observed to occur on the theta-Al(2)O(3)/NiAl(100) surface, which was attributed to the presence of a low concentration of oxygen atom vacancies. Titration of these defect sites with adsorbed H(2)O molecules revealed an estimated defect density of 0.05 ML for the theta-Al(2)O(3)/NiAl(100) system consistent with the ordered nature of the synthesized oxide film.     

Spontaneous attachment of amines to carbon and metallic surfaces

Primary alkylamines attach spontaneously from acetonitrile (ACN) solutions onto glassy carbon and metallic surfaces (Au, Pt, Cu, and Fe). The surface concentration of the organic layer measured from the integration of cyclic voltammograms appears close to or lower than that of a compact monolayer. The rate of the attachment depends on the concentration of the primary amino compound; it reaches a maximum after 3 h of immersion for the most concentrated solutions (20 mM). The modified surfaces have been characterized by cyclic voltammetry (CV), energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDX), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and infrared spectroscopy (ATR). The possible reaction mechanisms are discussed.     

Formation of a tetra-sigma-bonded intermediate in acetylethyne binding on Si(100)-2 x 1

The covalent binding of acetylethyne on Si(100)-2 x 1 has been investigated using high-resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy (HREELS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The HREELS spectra of chemisorbed monolayers show the absence of the C=O, C[triple bond]C, and C(sp)-H stretching modes coupled with the appearance of C=C (at 1580 cm(-1)) and C(sp2)-H (at 3067 cm(-1)) stretching modes. This demonstrates that both of the C=O and CC groups of acetylethyne directly participate in binding with silicon surfaces to form C-O and C=C bonds, respectively, which is further confirmed by the XPS studies. A tetra-sigma-binding configuration through two [2 + 2]-like cycloaddition reactions in acetylethyne binding on Si(100) is proposed to account for the experimental observation. The cycloadduct containing a C=C double bond may be employed as an intermediate for further in situ chemical syntheses of multilayer organic thin films or surface functionalization.