Phase transitions on clean Si(110) surfaces

The properties of the structure of clean Si(110) surfaces have been investigated by LEED. The phase transitions between surface structures Si(110)?(4 × 5), Si(110)?(2 × 1) and Si(110)(5 × 1) take place at about 600 and 750°C. The time of reconstruction from the high temperature phase to the low temperature phase may exceed the time of the sample cooling. That explains why the Si(110)?(2 × 1) and the Si(110)?(5 × 1) superstructures may be seen at room temperature. Surface defects favour the retaining of high temperature phases on the surface at room temperature. The transition from the Si(110)?(5 × 1) structure to the Si(110)?(2× 1) structure and conversely in the temperature range of 720–750°C apparently occurs through formation of the intermediate structures Si(110)?(7 × 1) and Si(110)?(9 × 1). The models are given of superstructures observed by LEED.     

Type of the second hole subband on the Si(110) surface: Spin splitting anisotropy

Magnetoresistance measurements have been performed for the cases of one and two occupied size-quantization hole subbands in silicon field-effect transistors prepared on the Si (110) surface. In both cases, Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations exhibit very weak sensitivity to the in-plane component of the magnetic field. This indicates that both lowest subbands are formed by heavy holes. This conclusion disagrees with the wide-spread opinion that the second subband is the ground subband of light holes in the system under consideration.     

Density of states of the clean Mo (110) surface

The electronic structure of the (110) surface of Mo is calculated using transfer matrix method. The Hamiltonian is of tight-binding type with a basis of nine orbitals per atom. Spectral densities of states for special points of the 2-D Brillouin zone are presented on the surface and in the three consecutive layers. The band structure in the σ direction and the local density of states are also calculated. The results are compared with the few experimental data available in the literature.     

Reflectometric study of surface states and oxygen adsorption on clean Si(100) and (110) surfaces

External differential reflection measurements were carried out on clean Si(100) and (110) surfaces in the photon energy range of 1.0 to 3.0 eV at 300 and 80 K. The results for Si(100) at 300 K showed two peaks in the joint density of states curve, which sharpened at 80 K. One peak at 3.0 ± 0.2 eV can be attributed to optical transitions from a filled surface states band near the top of the valence band to empty bulk conduction band levels. The other peak at 1.60 ± 0.05 eV may be attributed to transitions to an empty surface states band in the energy gap. This result favours the asymmetric dimer model for the Si(100) surface. For the (110) surface at 300 K only one peak was found at 3.0 ± 0.2 eV. At 80 K the peak height diminished by a factor of two. Oxygen adsorption in the submonolayer region on the clean Si(100) surface appeared to proceed in a similar way as on the Si(111) 7 × 7 surface. For the Si(110) surface the kinetics of the adsorption process at 80 K deviated clearly. The binding state of oxygen on this surface at 80 K appeared to be different from that on the same surface at 300 K.     

Structure dependent oxidation of clean Si(111) surfaces

The initial process of oxygen adsorption is investigated by high resolution photoemission yield spectroscopy on (2 × 1) and (7 × 7)Si(111) surfaces. The corresponding changes in work function, ionization energy and surface state distribution, within and close to the gap, depend strongly on the initial structure. It is shown for the first time that, after completion of a “monolayer” of oxygen, the dangling bond states completely disappear on the (7 × 7) structure while a few percents remain unaffected on the (2 × 1).     

The oxidation of the GaAs (110) surface

It is demonstrated that, contrary to previous proposals, Ga surface atoms are already involved in the oxidation process for the lowest observable oxygen coverages (0.01 monolayer). A similar involvement of As atoms could not be readily ascertained experimentally, although it is to be expected from energetic considerations. An oxidation model consisting of multiple bridge bonds to both Ga and As surface atoms is proposed, which is consistent with diverse experimental data for the GaAs(110) surface.     

Directional anisotropy of surface self-diffusion on Pt(110)

The rate of surface self-diffusion on a Pt(110) single crystal in the [1$\text{1}$0] and [001] directions was measured at 1200–1750 K by monitoring the decay of a sinusoidal surface profile. The surface diffusion rate in the [1$\text{1}$o] direction was much faster than in the [001] direction. The activation energy of surface self-diffusion was 1.70 and 3.16 eV for the [1$\text{1}$0] and [001] directions, respectively, in good agreement with theoretical estimates. For large amplitudes of the profile the decay rate for the [001] direction was also dependent on the amplitude. This behavior can be explained by the appearance of (111) facets on the profile, which cause a retardation of the profile decay.     

Ag-induced atomic structures on the Si(110) surface

We report the results of STM investigation of the initial stage of Ag adsorption on an Si(110) surface. At 0.21 ML Ag coverage, the size and orientation of the unit cell correspond to the parameters of a 16 × 2 unit cell of clean Si(110) surface. With increasing of the Ag coverage up to 0.42 ML, the type of surface reconstruction changes to a 4 × 1-Si(110)-Ag structure. The text was submitted by the authors in English.     

The preparation and surface structure of clean V(110)

The first quantitative determination of the surface structure of a group VB metal is reported. A procedure is described for the preparation of a clean, well-ordered surface of V(110), free from the major bulk impurity, oxygen. The clean surface exhibits the two-dimensional periodicity of the corresponding bulk plane. Experimental LEED intensity measurements are compared to the results of multiple-scattering model calculations, with very good agreement being obtained for a value of the first interlayer spacing d, close to the bulk value. Minimization of the r factor for the comparison of experimental and calculated intensity spectra leads to a value of $\text{d = 2.12 ± 0.02}\text{A}\text{?}$, compared to the bulk value of 2.14 Å.     

Laser-induced oxidation of the Si(111) surface

Pulsed laser induced oxidation of clean Si(111) surfaces has been studied by Auger electron spectroscopy and electron energy loss spectroscopy. The short duration time of the pulse has allowed a precise investigation of the first stages of the oxidation. About 1–2 oxide monolayers first grow in less than 10 s. Their stoichiometry evolves from SiO_x towards SiO₂ with increasing beam energy densities. Once this superficial layer has formed, no evolution is seen with further irradiation, suggesting that oxygen diffusion during the pulse duration cannot sustain the oxide growth.     

Surface states at the clean surfaces of cleaved Si(111) and GaAs(110)

A combination of ellipsometric data on the electronic transitions from occupied to unoccupied surface states and published photoemission data on the energy distribution of the occupied surface states has been used to construct models of the surface states densities at the cleaved Si (111) and GaAs (110) surfaces.     

Electron energy loss spectra of a Pd(110) clean surface

Electron energy loss spectra of a Pd(110) clean surface have been measured at primary energies of 40–100 eV. The observed peaks are at the loss energies of ∼ 3, 4.3, 7.5, 11.5, 16, 21.3, 26.5 and 33.8 eV. The 7.5, 26.5, and 33.8 eV peaks are attributed mainly to the bulk plasmon excitations associated with 5s electrons, coupled 5s and a limited number of 4d electrons, and total (4d+5s) electrons, respectively. The rest of the peaks are ascribed mainly to one-electron excitations.     

Electronic states induced by surface defects on GaSb(110)

Electronic state calculations for point defects on the GaSb(110) surface are presented using a cluster, in order to indicate theoretically the usefulness of the defect model as a mechanism of the Fermi level pinning in Schottky barriers. The results demonstrate that the presence of atomic Ga at surface Sb vacancy sites in addition to surface Ga vacancies gives electronic states localized near the top of the valence band which can be responsible for the pinning observed experimentally.