Ab initio study of Yb on the Ge(111)–(3 × 2) and Si(111)–(3 × 2) surfaces

The surface reconstruction, 3 × 2, induced by Yb adsorption on a Ge (Si)(111) surface has been studied using first principles density-functional calculation within the generalized gradient approximation. The two different possible adsorption sites have been considered: (i) H₃ (this site is directly above a fourth-layer Ge (Si) atom) and (ii) T₄ (directly above a second-layer Ge (Si) atom). We have found that the total energies corresponding to these binding sites are nearly the same, indeed for the Yb/Ge (Si)(111)–(3 × 2) structure the T₄ model is slightly energetic by about 0.01 (0.08) eV/unitcell compared with the H₃ model. In particular for the Ge sublayer, the energy difference is small, and therefore it is possible that the T₄, H₃, or T₄H₃ (half of the adatoms occupy the T₄ adsorption site and the rest of the adatoms are located at the H₃ site) binding sites can coexist with REM/Ge(111)–(3 × 2). In contrast to the proposed model, we have not determined any buckling in the Ge = Ge double bond. The electronic band structures of the surfaces and the corresponding natures of their orbitals have also been calculated. Our results for both substrates are seen to be in agreement with the recent experimental data, especially that of the Yb/Si(111)–(3 × 2) surface.     

SrTiO3(100) − √5 × √5 − R26.6 surface observed by high-resolution scanning tunneling microscopy

SrTiO₃(100) – (√5 × √5) – R26.6 surfaces were studied by means of high-resolution scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) under ultrahigh vacuum conditions. By varying the bias voltage in the occupied state, it was possible to observe the arrangement of titanium and oxygen atoms in the unit cells of a (√5 × √5) surface superstructure, which revealed that the TiO₂ layer is the terminating plane of the (√5 × √5) surface. In the STM images, peculiar protrusions were seen at the oxygen fourfold hollow site responsible for √5 × √5 periodicity. The protrusions are asymmetrical in contrast, which would be an important consideration in proposing accurate structural models for (√5 × √5) surface superstructures.     

Ga-induced restructuring of Si(5 5 12) − 2 × 1 reconstructed surface at room temperature

Motivated by the need to form 1D-nanostructured dopants on silicon surfaces, we have attempted to grow Ga on the high index Si(5 5 12) surface which has a highly trenched (1D) morphology. The evolution of the interface with Ga adsorption in the monolayer regime has been probed by in situ AES, LEED and EELS. Controlling the kinetics by changing the Ga flux rates shows an interesting difference in the 1.0 to 1.5 ML region. The low flux rate (0.03 ML/minute) results in a Frank van der Merwe (layer by layer) growth mode up to 2 ML, while the higher flux rate (0.1 ML/minute) shows a transient island formation after the completion of 1 ML. The low rate shows the formation of 2 × (3 3 7) and (2 2 5) superstructures, while only the 2 × (3 3 7) is observed in a wide coverage range for the higher rate. The results demonstrate the ability to kinetically control the surface phases with different electronic properties of this technologically important interface.     

Strain engineering tunable nanotemplates on the Cu(110)–(2 × 1)–O surface

We present an STM study on the domain pattern formation of the Cu(110)–O surface. We found that the separation of the oxygen adsorbate phase into the domain pattern is consistent with a phenomenological model of size-dependent elastic relaxation of the strained surface. We developed a thermally assisted oxygen adsorption procedure aiming to control the size of the two-dimensional (2 × 1)–O islands nucleated at the surface under oxygen adsorption serving as precursors for domain pattern formation. We engineered wide range tuneable (2 × 1)–O domain patterns by controlling the nuclei size and the oxygen coverage at the pattern formation stage.     

Interaction of Ag with the Si(1 1 1)1 × 1–H surface

Synchrotron radiation based photoemission spectroscopy (SRPES) and low energy electron diffraction (LEED) are used to study the interaction between Ag atoms and the Si(1 1 1)1 × 1–H surface. At an Ag coverage of 0.063 monolayers (ML) on the Si(1 1 1)1 × 1–H surface, the Si 2p component corresponding to Si–H bonds decreases, and an additional Si 2p component appears which shifts to a lower binding energy by 109 meV with respect to the Si bulk peak. The new Si 2p component is also observed for 0.25 ML Ag on the Si(1 1 1)7 × 7 surface. These findings suggest that Ag atoms replace the H atoms of the Si(1 1 1)1 × 1–H surface and form direct Ag–Si bonds. Contrary to the widely accepted view that there is no chemical interaction between Ag particles and the H-passivated Si surface, these results are in good agreement with recent first-principles calculations.     

Selective adsorption of coronene on Si(1 1 1)-(7 × 7)

The adsorption of coronene (C₂₄H₁₂) on the Si(1 1 1)-(7 × 7) surface is studied using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). Upon room temperature submonolayer deposition, we find that the coronene molecules preferentially adsorb on the unfaulted half of the 7 × 7 unit cell. Molecules adsorbed on different sites can be induced to move to the preferential sites by the action of the tip in repeated image scans. Imaging of the molecules is strongly bias dependent, and also critically depends on the adsorption site. We analyze the results in terms of differential bonding strength for the different adsorption sites and we identify those substrate atoms which participate in the bonding with the molecule.     

Structure determination of the Cu(0 0 1)–c(4 × 4)-Sn surface by low-energy electron diffraction

Low-energy electron diffraction (LEED) have been used to determine the Cu(0 0 1)–c(4 × 4)-Sn structure formed at 300 K. It is demonstrated that a structural model suggested by scanning tunneling microscopy observations is correct: The model consists of one substitutional Sn atom and four Sn adatoms in the unit cell. Optimum parameters of the determined c(4 × 4) structure reveal that Sn adatoms laterally are displaced by 0.30 Å away from ideal fourfold-hollow sites along the 〈100〉 directions. It is proposed that such displacements of the Sn adatoms cause the formation of a network of octagonal rings on Cu(0 0 1). The substitutional Sn atom is located at each center of the octagonal rings. The formation conditions of the network are discussed.     

Strained c(4 × 2) CoO(1 0 0)-like monolayer on Pd(1 0 0): Experiment and theory

We report on an interface-stabilized strained c(4 × 2) phase formed by cobalt oxide on Pd(1 0 0). The structural details and electronic properties of this oxide monolayer are elucidated by combination of scanning tunneling microscopy data, high resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy measurements and density functional theory. The c(4 × 2) periodicity is shown to arise from a rhombic array of Co vacancies, which form in a pseudomorphic CoO(1 0 0) monolayer to partially compensate for the compressive strain associated with the large lattice mismatch (～9.5%) between cobalt monoxide and the substrate. Deviation from the perfect 1:1 stoichiometry thus appears to offer a common and stable mechanism for strain release in Pd(1 0 0) supported monolayers of transition metal rocksalt monoxides of the first transition series, as very similar metal-deficient c(4 × 2) structures have been previously found for nickel and manganese oxides on the same substrate.     

The electronic properties of Co nanowires on Cu(110)-p(2 × 3)N

We present the first measurements of the differential conductance of Co wires grown on top of Cu(110)-p(2 × 3)N (Cu₃N). We apply scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS) in constant height and constant current mode to access the electronic density of states of the sample over a wide energy range. All measurements have been performed at 7 K. Our study reveals that the differential conductance of the Co wires is very similar to that of Cu₃N. Spectra of the differential conductance measured on the Co wires and on Cu₃N reveal that both systems exhibit the same characteristic features near + 1.8V and + 3.5 V.     

Atomic and nanostructures of monolayer c(2 × 2)NiN on Cu(0 0 1)

Structures of monolayer nickel nitride (NiN) on Cu(0 0 1) surface are studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), low energy electron diffraction (LEED) and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). Formations of Ni–N chemical bonds and NiN monolayer at the surface are confirmed by XPS on the N-adsorbed Cu(0 0 1) surfaces after Ni deposition and subsequent annealing to 670 K. A c(2 × 2) structure is always observed in the LEED patterns, which is a quite contrast to the (2 × 2)p4g structure observed usually at the N-adsorbed Ni(0 0 1) surface. Atomic images by STM indicate the mixture of Ni–N and Cu–N structures at the surface. Density of the trenches on the N-saturated surface decreases and the grid pattern on partially N-covered surfaces becomes disordered with increasing the Ni coverage. These results are attributed to the decrease of the surface compressive stress at the N-adsorbed Cu surface by mixing Ni atoms.     

As-rich (2 × 2) surface reconstruction on GaAs(111)A

The atomic structures and the formation processes of the Ga- and As-rich (2×2) reconstructions on GaAs(111)A have been studied. The Ga-rich (2×2) structure is formed by heating the As-rich (2×2) phase, but the reverse change hardly occurs by cooling the Ga-rich surface under the As₂ flux. Only when the Ga-rich (2×2) surface covered with amorphous As layers was thermally annealed, the As-rich (2×2) surface is formed. The As-rich (2×2) surface consists of As trimers located at a fourfold atop site of the outermost Ga layer, in which the rest-site Ga atom is replaced by the As atom.     

Acetylene adsorption on silicon (100)-(4 × 2) revisited

The aim of this work is to revisit the problem of acetylene adsorption on silicon (100). Extending previous theoretical work and including van der Waals forces explicitly in the simulations we remove existing ambiguities about the adsorption sites. The simulated adsorption energies and scanning tunneling microscopy contours are in good agreement with experimental data, they support the interpretation of a two-dimer feature at the surface as resulting from the adsorption of two individual molecules. It is also found that the simulated apparent heights agree with experimental values, if the actual bandgap of silicon is taken into account.     

Reversible and irreversible reactions of three oxygen precursors on InAs(0 0 1)-(4 × 2)/c(8 × 2)

The substrate reactions of three common oxygen sources for gate oxide deposition on the group III rich InAs(0 0 1)-(4 × 2)/c(8 × 2) surface are compared: water, hydrogen peroxide (HOOH), and isopropyl alcohol (IPA). Scanning tunneling microscopy reveals that surface atom displacement occurs in all cases, but via different mechanisms for each oxygen precursor. The reactions are examined as a function of post-deposition annealing temperature. Water reaction shows displacement of surface As atoms, but it does not fully oxidize the As; the reaction is reversed by high temperature (450 °C) annealing. Exposure to IPA and subsequent low-temperature annealing (100 °C) show the preferential reaction on the row features of InAs(0 0 1)-(4 × 2)/c(8 × 2), but higher temperature anneals result in permanent surface atom displacement/etching. Etching of the substrate is observed with HOOH exposure for all annealing temperatures. While nearly all oxidation reactions on group IV semiconductors are irreversible, the group III rich surface of InAs(0 0 1) shows that oxidation displacement reactions can be reversible at low temperature, thereby providing a mechanism of self-healing during oxidation reactions.     

Real time dynamics of Si magic clusters mediating phase transformation: Si(111)-(1 × 1) to (7 × 7) reconstruction revisited

Using Scanning Tunneling Microscope (STM), we show that the surface undergoes phase transformation from disordered “1 × 1” to (7 × 7) reconstruction which is mediated by the formation of Si magic clusters. Mono-disperse Si magic clusters of size ~ 13.5 ± 0.5 Å can be formed by heating the Si(111) surface to 1200 °C and quenching it to room temperature at cooling rates of at least 100 °C/min. The structure consists of 3 tetra-clusters of size ~ 4.5 ? similar to the Si magic clusters that were formed from Si adatoms deposited by Si solid source on Si(111)-(7 × 7) [1]. Using real time STM scanning to probe the surface at ~ 400 °C, we show that Si magic clusters pop up from the (1 × 1) surface and form spontaneously during the phase transformation. This is attributed to the difference in atomic density between “disordered 1 × 1” and (7 × 7) surface structures which lead to the release of excess Si atoms onto the surface as magic clusters.     

Adsorption of small molecules on a (2 × 1) PdZn surface alloy on Pd(1 1 1)

The adsorption of methanol, formaldehyde, methoxy, carbon monoxide and water on a (2 × 1) PdZn surface alloy on Pd(1 1 1) has been studied using DFT calculations. The most stable adsorption structures of all species have been investigated with respect to the structure and the electronic properties. It was found that methanol is only weakly bound to the surface. The adsorption energy only increases with higher methanol coverage, where chain structures with hydrogen bonds between the methanol molecules are formed. The highest adsorption energy was found for the formate species followed by the methoxy species. The formaldehyde species shows quite some electronic interaction with the surface, however the stable η₂ formaldehyde has only an adsorption energy of about 0.49 eV. The calculated IR spectra of the different species fit quite well to the experimental values available in the literature.     

3C-SiC(001)-3 × 2 reconstructed surface analyzed by high-resolution medium energy ion scattering

The atomic structure of the 3C-SiC(001)-3 × 2 reconstructed surface was analyzed precisely by high-resolution medium energy ion scattering (MEIS). The present MEIS analysis unambiguously shows that the (3 × 2) surface consists of Si adatoms (1/3 ML, 1 ML = 1.05 × 10¹⁵ atoms/cm²) on top and underlying Si adlayer (2/3 ML) on the bulk truncated Si plane. As the result, the most probable structure is focused on the Two Adlayer Asymmetric Dimer Model predicted by ab initio calculations and the modified versions with alternating long and short dimers in the 2nd adlayer proposed by photoelectron diffraction (PED) and by grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD) analyses. Observed MEIS spectra are well reproduced by the structure relatively close to that determined by PED rather than GIXRD. Interestingly, the first principle calculations using VASP (Vienna ab initio simulation package) prefer symmetric dimers in the second Si adlayer and non-relaxed interplanar distance between the top Si and 2nd C plane of the bulk-truncated surface, which are, however, unable to reproduce the observed MEIS spectra. The distorted 2nd adlayer (asymmetric dimers) may correlate with the compressed interplanar distance between the underlying Si and C planes.