Chemically selective adsorption of molecular oxygen on GaAs(100)c(2×8)

Scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy study of atomic and electronic structures of In2O on InAs and In0.53Ga0.47As(001)-(4×2) surfaces

Interfacial bonding geometry and electronic structures of In(2)O on InAs and In(0.53)Ga(0.47)As(001)-(4×2) have been investigated by scanning tunneling microscopy/scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STM/STS). STM images show that the In(2)O forms an ordered monolayer on both InAs and InGaAs surfaces. In(2)O deposition on the InAs(001)-(4×2) surface does not displace any surface atoms during both room temperature deposition and postdeposition annealing. Oxygen atoms from In(2)O molecules bond with trough In/Ga atoms on the surface to form a new layer of O-In/Ga bonds, which restore many of the strained trough In/Ga atoms into more bulklike tetrahedral sp(3) bonding environments. STS reveals that for both p-type and n-type clean In(0.53)Ga(0.47)As(001)-(4×2) surfaces, the Fermi level resides near the valence band maximum (VBM); however, after In(2)O deposition and postdeposition annealings, the Fermi level position is close to the VBM for p-type samples and close to the conduction band minimum for n-type samples. This result indicates that In(2)O bonding eliminates surface states within the bandgap and forms an unpinned interface when bonding with In(0.53)Ga(0.47)As/InP(001)-(4×2). Density function theory is used to confirm the experimental finding.

Electronic properties of adsorbates on GaAs(001)-c(2x8)/(2x4)

A systematic experimental and theoretical study was performed to determine the causes of oxide-induced Fermi level pinning and unpinning on GaAs(001)-c(2 x 8)/(2 x 4). Scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS) and density functional theory (DFT) were used to study four different adsorbates' (O(2), In(2)O, Ga(2)O, and SiO) bonding to the GaAs(001)-c(2 x 8)/(2 x 4) surface. The STS results revealed that out of the four adsorbates studied, only one left the Fermi level unpinned, Ga(2)O. DFT calculations were used to elucidate the causes of the Fermi level pinning. Two distinct pinning mechanisms were identified: direct (adsorbate induced states in the band gap region) and indirect pinnings (generation of undimerized As atoms). For O(2) dissociative chemisorption onto GaAs(001)-c(2 x 8)/(2 x 4), the Fermi level pinning was only indirect, while direct Fermi level pinning was observed when In(2)O was deposited on GaAs(001)-c(2 x 8)/(2 x 4). In the case of SiO on GaAs(001)-c(2 x 8)/(2 x 4), the Fermi level pinning was a combination of the two mechanisms.

The influence of bond flexibility and molecular size on the chemically selective bonding of In2O and Ga2O on GaAs(001)-c(2×8)/(2×4)

The surface structures formed upon deposition of In2O and Ga2O by molecular beam epitaxy onto the arsenic-rich GaAs(001)-c(2 x 8)/(2 x 4) surface have been studied using scanning tunneling microscopy and density functional theory. In2O initially bonds, with indium atoms bonding to second layer gallium atoms within the trough, and proceeds to insert into or between first layer arsenic dimer pairs. In contrast, Ga2O only inserts into or between arsenic dimer pairs due to chemical site constraints. The calculated energy needed to bend a Ga2O molecule approximately 70 degrees, so that it can fit into an arsenic dimer pair, is 0.6 eV less than that required for In2O. The greater flexibility of the Ga2O molecule causes its insertion site to be 0.77 eV more exothermic than the In2O insertion site. This result shows that although trends in the periodic table can be used to predict some surface reactions, small changes in atomic size can play a significant role in the chemistry of gas/surface reactions through the indirect effects of bond angle flexibility and bond length stiffness.