Vacancy at the Si(111) unreconstructed surface: Electron states and absence of the Jahn-Teller distortion

The electron states of a vacancy at the Si(111) surface are calculated by means of a tight-binding scheme. The results for a vacancy at the surface layer show one state of A_l symmetry below the surface dangling bond band, and another doubly degenerate state of E symmetry above it. The Fermi energy at an isolated vacancy remains fixed by the surface. This allows to derive two important consequences: i) The vacancy state is a neutral one as can be shown by integrating the local density of states up to the Fermi energy. ii) The electronic charge around the vacancy has got the whole surface point symmetry and therefore a Jahn-Teller effect is not induced.     

The Formation of Defect Complexes in a ZnO Grain Boundary

The microscopic properties a ZnO grain boundary containing extrinsic point defects are studied using a density functional computational approach. The results show that the grain boundary acts as a sink for native defects, such as the zinc vacancy and the oxygen interstitial, and also for bismuth substitutional impurities. The defects tend to accumulate at under-coordinated sites in the boundary core and prefer to form small clusters. In particular the segregation of Bi promotes the formation of the other native defects by lowering their formation energies in the boundary. Individually, the native defects and the Bi impurity do not produce deep interface states in the band gap which are electrically active. However, when the defects cluster to form a Bi_Zn-V_Zn-O_i complex, new gap states are created of acceptor type. It is suggested that these new states are caused by defect interactions which compensate one another resulting in the depletion of an occupied impurity state and new bond formation. The results are discussed in terms of the Schottky barrier model commonly used to describe the electrical characteristics of ZnO varistors.     

Si2CN4(010)表面特性的第一性原理研究

应用第一性原理系统地研究了不同端面Si₂CN₄(010)模型的表面特性.通过3种可能表面模型解离能的比较,表明位于SiN层内的Si—NⅡ 键结合最强,而与碳二亚胺链状结构相连的Si—NⅠ 键结合最弱,因此易于形成以Si/NⅠ 键为端面的表面.文中还研究了弛豫前后表面的原子结构和电子特性,表面的NⅠ 原子容易形成新键,这是由于不饱和的NⅠ 原子在费米能级处有较高的态密度,电子结构不稳定,相反表面C原子状态较稳定,无明显的成键趋势. 关键词： 2CN₄')" href="#">Si₂CN₄ 表面 原子结构 电子结构     

Study of vacancy on diamond (1 0 0) (2 × 1) surface from first-principles

Structure and energy related properties of neutral and charged vacancies on relaxed diamond (1 0 0) (2 × 1) surface were investigated by means of density functional theory. Calculations indicate that the diffusion of a single vacancy from the top surface layer to the second layer is not energetically favored. Analysis of energies in charged system shows that neutral state is most stable on diamond (1 0 0) (2 × 1) surface. The multiplicity of possible states can exist on diamond (1 0 0) surface in dependence on the surface Fermi level, which supports that surface diffusion of a vacancy is mediated by the change of vacancy charge states. Analysis of density of states shows surface vacancy can be effectively measured by photoelectricity technology.     

Vacancy defects in delafossite СuАlO<Subscript>2</Subscript>: First-principles calculations

Electronic properties and formation energies of vacancy defects in delafossite CuAlO₂ have been investigated by using the first-principles density functional theory. The band structures and density of states of various vacancy defects have been obtained and analyzed. The results show that the V _Cu systems with different charge states influence the type of conductivity. The introduced vacancy defects enhance the hybridization between O-2p and Cu-3d states, which is good for p-type conductivity. The calculated formation energies indicate that the Cu vacancy is relatively easy to form and it trends to have positive charge.     

Influence of the relative magnitude of the Jahn-Teller effect and level splitting in a cubic crystal field on the properties of the ground state of vacancy defects in semiconductors

The spatial structure of a vacancy and the properties of its electronic energy levels in a semiconductor with a lattice possessing point symmetry T _d are considered for an arbitrary relationship between the Jahn-Teller stabilization energy (associated with the F ₂ vibrational mode) and the t ₂-a ₁ splitting (Δ) caused by the cubic crystal field. The position of the minimum of the adiabatic potential and the distortion of the electronic density are calculated for the vacancy ground state for different relative values of Δ and coupling constants of the vacancy to the F ₂ vibrational mode. It is shown that, if the ground state of a carrier bound to a vacancy is a t ₂ state, the trigonal symmetry of the environment of the vacancy persists for any values of Δ, but the amount of displacements of atoms near the vacancy and the localization of the wave function of the bound carrier on the broken bond earmarked by the Jahn-Teller effect can depend heavily on Δ and are maximal at Δ → 0. This is also the case when the ground state of the vacancy is the a ₁ state, but the magnitude of Δ does not exceed a certain value, which is determined by the coupling constants and the elastic constant. The relation between Δ and the coupling constants is also shown to affect the properties of trigonal vacancy-shallow-donor complexes. For these complexes, calculations are performed of the dependence of the dipole direction determining the optical properties of the vacancy defect on the distortion of vacancy orbitals caused by the donor entering into the complex.     

Theoretical prediction of ion conductivity in solid state HfO2

A theoretical prediction of ion conductivity for solid state HfO2 is carried out in analogy to ZrO2 based on the density functional calculation. Geometric and electronic structures of pure bulks exhibit similarity for the two materials. Negative formation enthalpy and negative vacancy formation energy are found for YSH (yttria-stabilized hafnia) and YSZ (yttria- stabilized zirconia), suggesting the stability of both materials. Low activation energies (below 0.7 eV) of diffusion are found in both materials, and YSH’s is a little higher than that of YSZ. In addition, for both HfO2 and ZrO2 , the supercells with native oxygen vacancies are also studied. The so-called defect states are observed in the supercells with neutral and +1 charge native vacancy but not in the +2 charge one. It can give an explanation to the relatively lower activation energies of yttria-doped oxides and +2 charge vacancy supercells. A brief discussion is presented to explain the different YSH ion conductivities in the experiment and obtained by us, and we attribute this to the different ion vibrations at different temperatures.     

Coordination of acetonitrile (CH3CN) to platinum (111): Evidence for an η2(C,N) species

Acetonitrile (CH₃CN) coordination to a Pt(111) surface has been studied with electron energy loss vibrational spectroscopy (EELS), XPS, thermal desorption and work function measurements. We compare data for the surface states with known acetonitrile coordination complexes. For CH₃CN adsorbed on Pt(111) at 100 K, the molecule is rehybridized and adsorbs with the CN bond parallel or slightly inclined to the surface plane in an η²(C, N) configuration. The ν(CN) frequency is 1615 cm^?1 and the C ls and N ls binding energies are 284.6 eV and 397.2 eV respectively. By contrast, weakly adsorbed multilayer acetonitrile exhibits a ν(CN) vibrational frequency of 2270 cm^?1, and C ls and N ls binding energies of 286.9 eV and 400.1 eV respectively. Both the EELS and XPS results are consistent with rehybridization of the CN triple bond to a double bond with both C and N atoms of the CN group attached to the surface. In addition to this majority η²(C, N) monolayer state, evidence is found for a second, more strongly bound minority molecular state in thermal desorption spectra. As a result of the low coverage of this state, EELS was unable to spectroscopically identify it and we tentatively assign it as an η⁴(C, N) species associated with accidental step sites. By contrast to the surface complexes, almost all of the known platinum-nitrile coordination complexes are end-bonded via the N lone-pair orbital. Several cases of side-on bonding are known, however, and we compare the results with the known complex Fe₃(η²-NCCH₃)(CO)₉. The difference in the coordinative properties of a Pt(111) surface versus a single Pt atom must be due to the increased ability of multi-atom arrays to back-donate electrons into the π¹ system of acetonitrile. Previously published EELS and XPS results for monolayer acetonitrile on Ni(111) and polycrystalline films are almost identical to the present results on Pt(111). We believe that the monolayer of $\text{CH}{}_3\text{CN}\text{Ni}\text{(111)}$ is also an η²(C, N) species, not an end-bonded species previously proposed by Friend, Muetterties and Gland.     

Density Functional Study on Relative Energies, Structures, and Bonding of Low-lying Electronic States of Lutetium Dimer

用密度泛函理论方法研究了镥二聚体(Lu₂)低能量电子态的性质,计算了电子态相对能量、平衡键长、振动频率以及基态解离能,考察了密度泛函性质、相对论有效势种类以及Hartree-Fock交换作用大小对计算结果的影响．结果表明,无论采用何种密度泛函和相对论有效势,体系的基态都为三重态,与其他一些基于分子轨道理论的从头计算方法得到的结论是一致的．另外,与分子轨道从头计算结果以及实验结果比较发现,采用杂化密度泛函理论和Stuttgart小核有效势计算得到的结果总体吻合最好．最后,特别分析研究了B3LYP计算中Hartree-Fock交换作用大小对基态键长和基态解离能的影响,发现随着交换作用的增大,键长增长,解离能减小,这是由于5d轨道杂化导致的共价成键作用减弱造成的．     

Zn吸附到含有氧空位(VO)以及羟基(-OH)的锐钛矿相TiO2(101)表面电子结构的第一性原理计算

基于密度泛函理论的第一性原理平面波超软赝势方法, 计算了Zn吸附到TiO₂(101)清洁表面、含有氧空位(V_O)的缺陷表面以及既含有氧空位(V_O)又含有羟基(-OH)表面的能量、Mulliken重叠布居数以及电子结构, 并找到了Zn在每种表面的最稳定结构(分别为模型(c), 模型(aI)以及模型(aII)). 通过对三种表面稳定结构的分析、对比发现: 首先, Zn原子吸附到清洁TiO₂(101)表面上, 主要与表面氧相互作用, 形成Zn–O共价键; 其次, 当Zn原子吸附到缺陷表面时, 吸附能减小到-1.75 eV, 说明Zn更容易吸附到氧空位上(模型(aI)); 最后, 纵观表面模型的能带结构以及态密度图发现, -OH的引入并没有引进新的杂质能级, Zn吸附此表面, 即Zn-TiO₂-V_O-OH, 使得禁带宽度缩短到最小(1.85 eV), 从而有望提高TiO₂的光催化活性. 关键词： 密度泛函理论 氧空位 羟基 Zn原子     

Method of observation of low density interface states by means of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy under bias and passivation by cyanide ions

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurements under bias can observe low density interface states for metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) diodes with low densities. This method can give energy distribution of interface states for ultrathin insulating layers for which electrical measurements cannot be performed due to a high density leakage current. During the XPS measurements, a bias voltage is applied to the rear semiconductor surface with respect to the ∼3 nm-thick front platinum layer connected to the ground, and the bias voltage changes the occupation of interface states. Charges accumulated in the interface states shift semiconductor core levels at the interface, and thus the analysis of the bias-induced shifts of the semiconductor core levels measured as a function of the bias voltage gives energy distribution of interface states. In the case of Si-based MOS diodes, the energy distribution and density of interface states strongly depend on the atomic density of silicon dioxide (SiO₂) layers and the interfacial roughness, respectively. All the observed interface state spectra possess peaked-structures, indicating that they are due to defect states. An interface state peak near the Si midgap is attributable to isolated Si dangling bonds at the interface, while those above and below the midgap to Si dangling bonds interacting weakly with Si or oxygen atoms in the SiO₂ layers. A method of the elimination of interface states and defect states in Si using cyanide solutions has been developed. The cyanide method simply involves the immersion of Si in KCN solutions. Due to the high Si-CN bond energy of ∼4.5 eV, the bonds are not ruptured at 800 °C and upon irradiation. The cyanide treatment results in the improvement of the electrical characteristics of MOS diodes and solar cells.     

Theoretical study of TiO2 surfaces

A tight-binding extended Hückel (TBEH) calculation has been performed to investigate the electronic structures of TiO₂ surfaces. By analysing the density of states (DOS) of various surfaces and the orbital interactions between surface atoms, it is found that the continuous drop of the uppermost valence band peak with increasing surface defects is due to the removal of surface bridge O atoms, and that the interaction of the two Ti atoms adjacent to the O vacancy induces a defect gap state.     

Decomposition of NH3 on Ir(110): A first-principle study

The adsorption and dehydrogenation of NH₃ on Ir(110) have been investigated using periodic density functional calculations. The adsorption sites, the adsorption energies, the predominant adsorption configurations and the transition states of the stepwise dehydrogenation of NH₃ were identified. The results show that the NH₃ prefers the top site with inclining 68.6° of N―Ir bond relative to the surface, while NH₂, NH, N and H favor the short bridge position. The NH decomposition to N and H or recombination with H to form NH₂ shares the similar and relatively high reaction energy barrier, implying that NH will be the main surface species in the NH₃ dehydrogenation processes. N―N bond formation possesses the highest energy barrier of 1.75 eV, indicating that it is the rate-limiting step for NH₃ decomposition. Barrier decomposition analysis reveals that the deformation and the binding to the surface of the reactants and the interaction among binding species in transition states will increase the activation energy while the bonding to the surface of the species in transition state will decrease the energy barrier.     

Magnetic and binding properties of metal-divacancy complexes at MgO (0 0 1) surface: DFT calculations

We have analyzed the magnetic and binding properties of Ni, Cr, Mo, and Pt metals deposited on the defect free and defect containing surfaces of MgO by means of density functional theory calculations and embedded cluster model. Clusters of moderate sizes with no border anions, to avoid artificial polarization effects, were embedded in the simulated Coulomb fields that closely approximate the Madelung fields of the host surfaces. Spin quenching occurs for Cr and Mo complexes at the defect free (terrace) surface, and Cr, Mo, and Pt complexes at the defect containing “pit” divacancy surface. The binding energies of the metals are significantly enhanced on the cationic vacancy end of the divacancy. The adsorption energies of the low spin states of spin quenched complexes are always greater than those of the high spin states. The metal-support interactions stabilize the low spin states of the adsorbed metals with respect to the isolated metals, but the effect is not always enough to quench the spin. The encountered variations in magnetic properties of free metals and of metal complexes are correlated with the energy gaps of the frontier orbitals. Spin contamination affect the adsorbate-substrate distances, Mulliken charges, Mulliken spin densities, natural charge, natural orbital population, and provide rationalization for the reported magnetic and binding properties. The electrostatic potential energy curves provide clearer understanding of the nature of magnetic and binding interactions. The magnetic and binding properties of a single metal atom adsorbed on a particular surface result from a competition between Hund's rule for the adsorbed metal, and the formation of a chemical bond at the interface.     

Quantum Transport in Presence of Bound States – Noise Power

The impact of bound states in Landauer‐Büttiker scattering approach to non‐equilibrium quantum transport is investigated. We show that the noise power at frequency ν is sensitive to all bound states with energies ω_b satisfying . We derive the exact expression of the bound state contribution and compare it to the one produced by the scattering states alone. The theoretical and experimental consequences of this result are discussed.     

Emergence and visualization of an interface state during contact formation with a single molecule

Contact formation dynamics and electronic perturbations arising from the interaction of a metallic probe and a single molecule (1,3 cyclohexadiene) bound on the Si (100) surface are examined using a series of plane wave, density functional theory calculations. The approach of the probe induces a relaxation of the molecule that ultimately leads to the formation of an interface state due to a specific interaction between the probe apex atom and the C=C bond of the molecule. The calculated interface state is located 0.2 eV above the Fermi energy, in agreement with low temperature scanning tunneling spectroscopy local density of states data (0.35 eV), and is responsible for the contrast observed in low bias empty-state STM images.     

Time‐dependent density functional theory study on the excited‐state hydrogen bonding strengthening of photoexcited 4‐amino‐1,8‐naphthalimide in hydrogen‐donating solvents

The time‐dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) method was performed to investigate the excited‐state hydrogen bonding dynamics of 4‐amino‐1,8‐naphthalimide (4ANI) as hydrogen bond acceptor in hydrogen donating methanol (MeOH) solvent. The ground‐state geometry optimizations, electronic transition energies and corresponding oscillation strengths of the low‐lying electronically excited states for the isolated 4ANi and hydrogen‐bonded 4ANi‐(MeOH)_1,4 complexes were calculated by the DFT and TDDFT methods, respectively. We demonstrated that the intermolecular hydrogen bond C═O···H–O and N–H···O–H in the hydrogen‐bonded 4ANi‐(MeOH)_1,4 is strengthened in the electronically excited state, because the electronic excitation energies of the hydrogen‐bonded complex are correspondingly decreased compared with that of the isolated 4ANi. The calculated results are consistent with the mechanism of the hydrogen bond strengthening in the electronically excited state, while contrast with mechanism of hydrogen bond cleavage. Furthermore, we believe that the transient hydrogen bond strengthening behavior in electronically excited state of fluorescent dye in hydrogen‐donating solvents exists in many other systems in solution. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Chemical effects in the N7 VV Auger spectra from W(100) and W(110) surfaces

Fine structure in the N₇ VV Auger spectra from clean W(100) and W(110) surfaces has been interpreted by Lander's band model for the doubly ionized final state. It is shown that the energies of the prominent emissions in the spectra are similar for the two surfaces and furthermore are consistent with the self convolution of a bulk density of states for tungsten. An additional feature in the spectrum from the W(100) surface has been attributed to emission from an intrinsic surface state at ?0.4 eV. The localization of this state at the surface was confirmed by its sensitivity to adsorbates (H₂, CO, O₂ and I₂). During the interaction of these gases with the surface the Auger spectra always retained the features attributed to the bulk density of states which were modified only by a shift in the background intensity profile. New emission features in this part of the spectra were not seen except for the example of hydrogen adsorption when a single new emission could be seen on each of the two tungsten surfaces. However, each adsorbate produce either one (H₂) or two (CO, O₂ and I₂) new emissions at lower energies which were attributed to emissions from new adsorbate derived levels which reside at energies below the prominent features of the tungsten valence band. The location of these new adsorbate levels is compared and contrasted with the equivalent ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopic determinations.     

压力下应变异质结中施主杂质态的Stark效应

对应变GaN/Al_xGa_1-xN异质结系统,考虑理想界面突变势垒,引入简化相干势近似,采用变分法讨论了流体静压力下外界电场对束缚于界面附近的浅杂质态结合能的影响.对GaN为衬底的闪锌矿应变异质结,分别计算了(001)和(111)取向时杂质态的结合能随压力、杂质位置、电场强度以及组分的变化关系.结果表明,杂质态结合能随流体静压力呈近线性变化.电场对杂质态的Stark效应则随杂质位置不同而呈现谱线蓝、红移动.此外,还讨论了在不同压力情况下,Al组分对杂质结合能的影响.当杂质处于GaN材料中且距界面较远时,Al组分的增加使电子的二维特性增强,从而使结合能增大,且压力加剧增幅的增加;当杂质处于Al_xGa_1-xN材料中,Al组分的增加削弱了杂质与电子间的库仑相互作用,故而结合能降低. 关键词： xGa_1-xN异质结')" href="#">GaN/Al_xGa_1-xN异质结 杂质态 压力 Stark效应     

Intrinsic defects in GaAs and InGaAs through hybrid functional calculations

Vacancies, antisites, and dangling bonds in GaAs and In_0.5Ga_0.5As are studied through hybrid density functionals. The As antisite is found to have a low formation energy in As-rich conditions and defect levels at mid-gap in correspondence of experimental defect densities at the GaAs/oxide and InGaAs/oxide interfaces. In n-type GaAs, the Ga vacancy also shows defect levels in agreement with measured defect densities and competitive formation energies. For both GaAs and InGaAs, the As dangling bonds are located near the valence band maximum. The Ga dangling bond in GaAs is found just below the conduction band-edge in correspondence of experimentally observed states, whereas its defect level is resonant with the conduction band in InGaAs.