POSSIBLE EVIDENCE OF QUANTUM-SIZE EFFECTS IN X-RAY PHOTOEMISSION SPECTRA OF ULTRATHIN SI LAYERS

This letter reports the experimental evidence of a 2.3 eV blue shift o f the plasmon loss lines observed in the x-ray photoelectron spectra o f an ultrathin Si layer equivalent to 1.5 X 10(15) at./cm(2) deposited onto a randomly oriented Al2O3 Single crystal. The plasmon line shift s, which is roughly proportional to the deposited Si(mass)(-2/3), are attributed to quantum confinement effects in agreement with electron e nergy loss measurements performed on nanosized Si particles. (C) 1995 American Insitute of Physics.