Xf. Lin et al., INITIAL-STAGES OF IN ADSORPTION ON SI(111) 7X7, Journal of vacuum science & technology. B, Microelectronics and nanometer structures processing, measurement and phenomena, 14(2), 1996, pp. 995-999
Scanning tunneling microscopy and scanning tunneling spectroscopy have
been used to study the initial stages of room-temperature deposition
of In on a Si(111) 7x7 surface. Individual In atoms are observed resid
ing atop the substrate Si adatoms and rest atoms at T-1 sites, showing
different geometric configurations. An analysis of the In atomic stru
ctures in the dual-bias scanning tunneling microscopy images leads us
to conclude that the In half-filled p(z)-like sp(3) hybrids covalently
bond to the Si partially filled p(z)-like sp(3) hybridized orbitals a
nd the In p(x,y)-like sp(3) hybrids overlap with these on the nearby m
etal atoms, also showing the covalent bonding. This is also supported
by the scanning tunneling spectroscopy spectrum energy measurements ab
out the Fermi level where the covalent bonding between the In and Si s
aturates the Si intrinsic metallic surface states, producing a surface
band gap similar to 1.7 eV. (C) 1996 American Vacuum Society.