Atomic-level study of the robustness of the Si(100)-2x1 : H surface following exposure to ambient conditions

The in situ hydrogen-passivated Si(100)-2x1 surface is characterized with x -ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and ultra-high-vacuum scanning tunnel ing microscopy (STM) following exposure to ambient conditions. The XPS meas urements illustrate the chemical inertness of this surface as the onset of oxidation is not observed for the first 40 h of ambient exposure. After 15 min of contact with atmospheric conditions, the STM images reveal that the Si(100)-2x1:H surface remains atomically pristine. This exceptional stabili ty is of relevance to a wide variety of applications that require ultrapure Si(100) substrates (e.g., microelectronics, semiconductor processing, nano fabrication, etc.). (C) 2001 American Institute of Physics.