36 research outputs found
Investigation of Single Boron Acceptors at the Cleaved Si:B (111) Surface
The cleaved and (2 x 1) reconstructed (111) surface of p-type Si is
investigated by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). Single B acceptors are
identified due to their characteristic voltage-dependent contrast which is
explained by a local energetic shift of the electronic density of states caused
by the Coulomb potential of the negatively charged acceptor. In addition,
detailed analysis of the STM images shows that apparently one orbital is
missing at the B site at sample voltages of 0.4 - 0.6 V, corresponding to the
absence of a localized dangling-bond state. Scanning tunneling spectroscopy
confirms a strongly altered density of states at the B atom due to the
different electronic structure of B compared to Si.Comment: 6 pages, 7 figure