Role of doping in probe microscopies for the Si(111) 7×7 surface

We investigate a scanning probe microscopy image flickering phenomenon, i.e., distinct changes in intensity with the tip height, observed on a B-doped Si(111) 7×7 reconstructed surface. The phenomenon is exclusively observed in heavily doped systems owing to large variations in the adatom heights (∼...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Dingxin Fan, Yuki Sakai, James R. Chelikowsky, Daniel Meuer, Alfred J. Weymouth, Franz J. Giessibl
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: American Physical Society 2025-02-01
Series:Physical Review Research
Online Access:http://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevResearch.7.L012046
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:We investigate a scanning probe microscopy image flickering phenomenon, i.e., distinct changes in intensity with the tip height, observed on a B-doped Si(111) 7×7 reconstructed surface. The phenomenon is exclusively observed in heavily doped systems owing to large variations in the adatom heights (∼0.5 a.u.) and the existence of bistable subunits upon doping as the probe tip approaches the surface. We find that B atoms prefer to reside in the surface layer, which is ∼1.1 eV more stable compared to interior layers. These dopant atoms exert a substantial influence on the structural integrity and electronic structure of the lattice.
ISSN:2643-1564