Scanning tunneling spectroscopy reveals a silicon dangling bond charge state transition
We report the study of single dangling bonds (DBs) on a hydrogen-terminated silicon (100) surface using a low-temperature scanning tunneling microscope. By investigating samples prepared with different annealing temperatures, we establish the critical role of subsurface arsenic dopants on the DB ele...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
IOP Publishing
2015-01-01
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| Series: | New Journal of Physics |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1088/1367-2630/17/7/073023 |
| _version_ | 1827873938953207808 |
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| author | Hatem Labidi Marco Taucer Mohammad Rashidi Mohammad Koleini Lucian Livadaru Jason Pitters Martin Cloutier Mark Salomons Robert A Wolkow |
| author_facet | Hatem Labidi Marco Taucer Mohammad Rashidi Mohammad Koleini Lucian Livadaru Jason Pitters Martin Cloutier Mark Salomons Robert A Wolkow |
| author_sort | Hatem Labidi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | We report the study of single dangling bonds (DBs) on a hydrogen-terminated silicon (100) surface using a low-temperature scanning tunneling microscope. By investigating samples prepared with different annealing temperatures, we establish the critical role of subsurface arsenic dopants on the DB electronic properties. We show that when the near-surface concentration of dopants is depleted as a result of 1250 °C flash anneals, a single DB exhibits a sharp conduction step in its I(V) spectroscopy that is not due to a density of states effect but rather corresponds to a DB charge state transition. The voltage position of this transition is perfectly correlated with bias-dependent changes in the STM images of the DB at different charge states. Density functional theory calculations further highlight the role of subsurface dopants on DB properties by showing the influence of the DB-dopant distance on the DB state. We discuss possible theoretical models of electronic transport through the DB that could account for our experimental observations. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T16:44:06Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ff464636be284fc6af01fd96dbb26f64 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1367-2630 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T16:44:06Z |
| publishDate | 2015-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | New Journal of Physics |
| spelling | doaj.art-ff464636be284fc6af01fd96dbb26f642023-08-08T14:20:54ZengIOP PublishingNew Journal of Physics1367-26302015-01-0117707302310.1088/1367-2630/17/7/073023Scanning tunneling spectroscopy reveals a silicon dangling bond charge state transitionHatem Labidi0Marco Taucer1Mohammad Rashidi2Mohammad Koleini3Lucian Livadaru4Jason Pitters5Martin Cloutier6Mark Salomons7Robert A Wolkow8Department of Physics, University of Alberta, Edmonton , Alberta, T6G 2J1, Canada; National Institute for Nanotechnology , National Research Council of Canada, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2M9, CanadaDepartment of Physics, University of Alberta, Edmonton , Alberta, T6G 2J1, Canada; Quantum Silicon, Inc., Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2M9, CanadaDepartment of Physics, University of Alberta, Edmonton , Alberta, T6G 2J1, Canada; National Institute for Nanotechnology , National Research Council of Canada, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2M9, CanadaDepartment of Physics, University of Alberta, Edmonton , Alberta, T6G 2J1, Canada; National Institute for Nanotechnology , National Research Council of Canada, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2M9, CanadaQuantum Silicon, Inc., Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2M9, CanadaNational Institute for Nanotechnology , National Research Council of Canada, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2M9, CanadaNational Institute for Nanotechnology , National Research Council of Canada, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2M9, CanadaNational Institute for Nanotechnology , National Research Council of Canada, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2M9, CanadaDepartment of Physics, University of Alberta, Edmonton , Alberta, T6G 2J1, Canada; National Institute for Nanotechnology , National Research Council of Canada, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2M9, Canada; Quantum Silicon, Inc., Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2M9, CanadaWe report the study of single dangling bonds (DBs) on a hydrogen-terminated silicon (100) surface using a low-temperature scanning tunneling microscope. By investigating samples prepared with different annealing temperatures, we establish the critical role of subsurface arsenic dopants on the DB electronic properties. We show that when the near-surface concentration of dopants is depleted as a result of 1250 °C flash anneals, a single DB exhibits a sharp conduction step in its I(V) spectroscopy that is not due to a density of states effect but rather corresponds to a DB charge state transition. The voltage position of this transition is perfectly correlated with bias-dependent changes in the STM images of the DB at different charge states. Density functional theory calculations further highlight the role of subsurface dopants on DB properties by showing the influence of the DB-dopant distance on the DB state. We discuss possible theoretical models of electronic transport through the DB that could account for our experimental observations.https://doi.org/10.1088/1367-2630/17/7/073023STMscanning tunneling spectroscopysilicon dangling bondcharge state transitionsilicon atomic quantum dot |
| spellingShingle | Hatem Labidi Marco Taucer Mohammad Rashidi Mohammad Koleini Lucian Livadaru Jason Pitters Martin Cloutier Mark Salomons Robert A Wolkow Scanning tunneling spectroscopy reveals a silicon dangling bond charge state transition New Journal of Physics STM scanning tunneling spectroscopy silicon dangling bond charge state transition silicon atomic quantum dot |
| title | Scanning tunneling spectroscopy reveals a silicon dangling bond charge state transition |
| title_full | Scanning tunneling spectroscopy reveals a silicon dangling bond charge state transition |
| title_fullStr | Scanning tunneling spectroscopy reveals a silicon dangling bond charge state transition |
| title_full_unstemmed | Scanning tunneling spectroscopy reveals a silicon dangling bond charge state transition |
| title_short | Scanning tunneling spectroscopy reveals a silicon dangling bond charge state transition |
| title_sort | scanning tunneling spectroscopy reveals a silicon dangling bond charge state transition |
| topic | STM scanning tunneling spectroscopy silicon dangling bond charge state transition silicon atomic quantum dot |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1088/1367-2630/17/7/073023 |
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