Absolute coverage measurements of ultrathin alkali-metal films on reconstructed silicon

Abstract

Metal/semiconductor interfaces, particularly those involving Si, are of great technological and scientific interest. In atomically abrupt interfaces, many properties are determined by interatomic interactions over a few layers, i.e., over ~1 nanometer. The initial stages of growth of an atomic layer related to structural and electronic properties are thus important to thin film behavior. Surface science studies on metal-semiconductor systems often lead to contradictory conclusions regarding bonding sites and even whether the first layer is metallic or not. A key piece of information that must be consistent with any study is the number of atoms per unit area in the first layer, which is difficult to assess directly. Alkali-metal-semiconductor systems have been studied as model abrupt interfaces for several years. Novel effects, such as electron localization, were observed. Still, determinations of absolute coverage have been lacking. This dissertation describes results of absolute coverage measurements for Cs on Si(100)(2X1), Si(111)(7X7), and Si (111)(v3 X v3)R30°-B reconstructed surfaces using Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry in ultrahigh vacuum. The results bracket possible structural models for these systems. For the Cs/Si(111)(v3 X v3)R30°-B interface, this work confirms conclusions regarding electron localization effects and introduces considerations of ion-beam-induced desorption for the weakly-bound Cs