Dimer-anticorrelation-induced stabilization of adsorbate clustering on the Si100-(2 x 1) surface

Tuning patterning conditions by co-adsorption of gases: Br2 and H2 on Si(001)

We have studied the co-adsorption of Br2 and H2 on Si(001), and obtained co-adsorption energies and the surface phase diagram as a function of the chemical potential and pressure of the two gases. To do this, we have used density functional theory calculations in combination with ab initio atomistic thermodynamics. Over large ranges of bromine and hydrogen chemical potentials, the favored configuration is found to be either one with only Br atoms adsorbed on the surface, at full coverage, in a (3 × 2) pattern, or a fully H-covered surface in a (2 × 1) structure. However, we also find regions of the phase diagram where there are configurations with either only Br atoms, or Br and H atoms, arranged in a two-atom-wide checkerboard pattern with a (4 × 2) surface unit cell. Most interestingly, we find that by co-adsorbing with H2, we bring this pattern into a region of the phase diagram corresponding to pressures that are significantly higher than those where it is observed with Br2 alone. We also find small regions of the phase diagram with several other interesting patterns.

Toggling bistable atoms via mechanical switching of bond angle

We reversibly switch the state of a bistable atom by direct mechanical manipulation of bond angle using a dynamic force microscope. Individual buckled dimers at the Si(100) surface are flipped via the formation of a single covalent bond, actuating the smallest conceivable in-plane toggle switch (two atoms) via chemical force alone. The response of a given dimer to a flip event depends critically on both the local and nonlocal environment of the target atom-an important consideration for future atomic scale fabrication strategies.

Competing interactions in molecular adsorption: NH(3) on Si(001)

Ammonia is a good model system for the study of co-adsorption interactions, including indirect effects such as charge and strain-induced local effects on adsorption sites, and direct interactions such as hydrogen bonding. On the Si(001) surface, it adsorbs molecularly, via a dative bond from the N atom to the down atom of a buckled dimer, and is therefore very sensitive to the local charge conditions. It will then dissociate into -H and -NH(2) groups, adsorbed on the dangling bonds of the Si dimers. The NH(2) groups do not diffuse, so any correlations deriving from interactions during adsorption are preserved, and can be derived by analysis of the arrangements of the NH(2) groups. Hydrogen-bonding interactions are crucial in understanding the behaviour of this system, with significant co-adsorption interactions occurring both along and across rows, outweighing the electrostatic or buckling-related effects. In recent years, there have been several scanning tunnelling microscopy studies and extensive computational modelling of the NH(3) on Si(001) system, attempting to determine a dominant mechanism governing co-adsorption effects. In this review, I will discuss both experimental and theoretical results, make a comparison with similar molecules such as phosphine (PH(3)), and review the different ways in which experimentalists and modellers have approached this complex system.

Formation mechanism of one-dimensional Si islands on a H/Si(001) surface

The formation mechanism of one-dimensional Si islands on a H/Si(001)-(2x1) surface is studied using scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy and first-principles calculations. We observed that one-dimensional islands that are made from dimer chains are formed at the initial growth stages similar to the bare Si(001) surface. It is found that the number of odd-numbered dimer chains is larger than that of even-numbered dimer chains. We propose the growth processes of the two types of growth edges to explain the observation.

Coverage dependent desorption dynamics of deuterium on Si(100) surfaces: Interpretation with a diffusion-promoted desorption model

We studied coverage dependence of time-of-flight (TOF) spectra of D2 molecules thermally desorbed from the D/Si(100) surface. The mean translational energies Et of desorbed D2 molecules were found to increase from 0.20+/-0.05 eV to 0.40+/-0.04 eV as the desorption coverage window was decreased from 1.0 ML> or =thetaD> or =0.9 ML to 0.2 ML> or =thetaD> or =0 ML, being consistent with the kinetics switch predicted in the interdimer mechanism. The measured TOF spectra were deconvoluted into 2H, 3H, and 4H components by a curve fitting method along the principle of detailed balance. As a result, it turned out that the desorption kinetics changes from the 4H to the 3H situation at high coverage above thetaD=0.9 ML, while the 2H desorption is dominant for a quite wide coverage region up to thetaD=0.8 ML. A dynamic desorption mechanism by which the desorption is promoted by D-atom diffusion to dangling bonds was proposed.