CHEMICAL-REACTIVITY OF ALKALI-SEMICONDUCTOR INTERFACES - THE CASE OF K GAAS(110) AND K/SI(100) INTERFACES/

The growth at room temperature of K/GaAs(110) and K/Si(100) interfaces have been studied using Auger electron spectroscopy and principal com ponent analysis. The PCA of the K Auger line of K/GaAs(110) reveals th e existence of three pure independent components. The splitting, witho ut lineshape modifications, of the first two of them suggests the form ation of complexes of different size at the surface. The third compone nt has remarkable lineshape modifications with respect to the others a nd it is observed from the beginning of the evaporation process indica ting the reactivity of the K/GaAs(110) interface. This is not the case for the K/Si(100) interface, where PCA only reveals the splitting of different sized complexes.