Theoretical calculations of the scanning-tunneling-microscopy images of the Si(111) sqrt 3 x sqrt 3 -Ag surface

Structural and Chemical Evolution of l-Cysteine Nanofilm on Si(111)-√3×√3-Ag: From Preferential Growth at Step Edges and Antiphase Boundaries at Room Temperature to Adsorbate-Mediated Metal Cluster Formation at Elevated Temperature

The interaction of cysteine molecules with the Si(111)-√3×√3-Ag surface has been investigated over the submonolayer to multilayer regime using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning tunneling microscopy, and density functional theory calculations. With both upper step and lower step terraces, step edges, and antiphase boundaries, the √3×√3-Ag overlayer supported on Si(111) provides a rich two-dimensional template for studying site-specific biomolecular interactions. As an amino acid with three functional groups, cysteine is found to chemisorb through S-H bond cleavage and S-Ag bond linkage first at step edges and antiphase boundaries followed by island formation and expanded growth onto terraces. Intermolecular interactions are dominated by zwitterionic hydrogen bonding at higher coverages, producing a porous unordered interfacial layer composed of cysteine agglomerates at room temperature. Upon annealing, cysteine adsorbates induce structural transformation of the uniform √3×√3-Ag reconstructed surface lattice into metallic Ag clusters with a narrow size distribution and short-range ordering. Preferential nanoaggregate formation of cysteine at defect sites and cysteine-induced metal cluster formation promise a new approach to fabricating nanoclusters for potential applications in chemical sensing and catalysis.

Thermal switching of the electrical conductivity of Si(111)([Formula: see text])Ag due to a surface phase transition

The temperature-dependent surface conductivity of the Si(111)([Formula: see text])Ag surface was measured using a microscopic four-point probe. The conductivity was found to undergo a sharp increase of about three orders of magnitude when the system was heated above about 220 K. This strong conductivity change is reversible and attributed to the phase transition which is generally believed to occur on this surface. It is also shown that, in order to find the true surface conductivity, it is necessary to separate it from the contribution of the bulk and space charge layer. In this work, this is achieved by using a finite-element model. A percolating network of Ag islands on Si(111) was also studied and a much simpler behaviour (compared to that of Si(111)([Formula: see text])Ag) was found. The temperature-dependent conductivity of this system was found to display typical metallic behaviour. The absolute value of the conductivity is comparable to the value expected by modelling the Ag film as exhibiting the bulk Ag transport properties.

Mapping and control of atomic force on Si(1 1 1)square root(3) x square root(3)-Ag surface using noncontact atomic force microscope

We demonstrated the possibility of measuring the three-dimensional force-related map with true atomic resolution between an Si tip and Si(1 1 1)square root(3) x square root(3)-Ag sample surface by measuring the tip-sample distance dependence of noncontact atomic force microscope (NC-AFM) image, i.e. atomically resolved atomic force spectroscopy. Furthermore, we demonstrated the possibility of controlling the interaction force between the atom on the tip apex and a sample atom of Si(1 1 1)square root(3) x square root(3)-Ag surface on an atomic scale by placing an Ag atom on the Si tip apex instead of Si atom.

STM images apparently corresponding to a stable structure: considerable fluctuation of a phase boundary of the Si(111)-(square root of (3) x square root of (3))-Ag surface

We study scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) images near a phase boundary of the Si(111)- (square root of (3) x square root of (3))-Ag surface by using Monte Carlo simulations based on results of first-principles calculations. The boundary is found to fluctuate from snapshot to snapshot, and the feature of the simulated STM images differs distinctly from the observed one with a straightly extending honeycomb pattern of bright spots. Remarkably, statistical averages of the simulated images reproduce the observed feature. This study gives a warning of our tendency to relate STM images revealing clear arrangement of bright spots with some stable structure.