Photoelectron holography studies of Bi on Si(111)
Photoelectron holography is applied to Bi atoms adsorbed on Si(111) for a determination of the three-dimensional atomic structure. Instead of measuring the absolute intensity as a function of photon energy as is traditionally done, a differential measurement is carried out to yield the logarithmic derivative of the intensity. This leads to intensity self-normalization, and significantly improves the accuracy. The resulting images show a well-resolved trimer structure for the adsorption geometry.
Evidence of sp2-like Hybridization of Silicon Valence Orbitals in Thin and Thick Si Grown on α-Phase Si(111)√3 × √3R30°-Bi
One-monolayer (ML) (thin) and 5-ML (thick) Si films were grown on the α-phase Si(111)√3 × √3R30°-Bi at a low substrate temperature of 200 °C. Si films have been studied in situ by reflection electron energy loss spectroscopy (REELS) and Auger electron spectroscopy, as a function of the electron beam incidence angle α and low-energy electron diffraction (LEED), as well as ex situ by grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD). Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), and scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS) were also reported. The REELS spectra, taken at the Si K absorption edge (~1.840 KeV), reveal the presence of two distinct loss structures attributed to transitions 1s→π* and 1s→σ* according to their intensity dependence on α, attesting to the sp2-like hybridization of the silicon valence orbitals in both thin and thick Si films. The synthesis of a silicon allotrope on the α-phase of Si(111)√3 × √3R30°-Bi substrate was demonstrated by LEED patterns and GIXRD that discloses the presence of a Si stack of 3.099 (3) Å and a √3 × √3 unit cell of 6.474 Å, typically seen for multilayer silicene. STM and STS measurements corroborated the findings. These measurements provided a platform for the new √3 × √3R30° Si allotrope on a Si(111)√3 × √3 R30°-Bi template, paving the way for realizing topological insulator heterostructures from different two-dimensional materials, Bi and Si.
Angle-resolved x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy
Abstract In this review, various aspects of angle-resolved x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (ARXPS) as applied to solid state- and surface chemical- studies are discussed. Special requirements for instrumentation are first considered. The use of grazing-emission angles to enhance surface sensitivity and study surface concentration profiles of various types is then discussed. Various effects that may limit the accuracy of such measurements such as surface roughness, electron refraction, and elastic scattering are considered. Several examples of surface-specific electronic structure changes as studied by grazing-emission ARXPS (e.g., valence-band narrowing and core-level shifts) are also reviewed. The use of grazing-incidence geometries for surface enhancement is also briefly considered. Single-crystal studies providing additional types of information via ARXPS are next discussed. For core-level emission from single-crystal substrates or adsorbed overlayers, x-ray photoelectron diffraction (XPD) is found to produce considerable fine structure in polar- or azimuthal- scans of intensity. Such XPD effects can be very directly related to the atomic geometry near a surface, for example, through simple intramolecular or intermolecular scattering processes. A straightforward single scattering or kinematical theory also appears to describe such effects rather well, thus far permitting several structures to be solved by analyses of azimuthal intensity scans. Likely future developments and possible limitations of such XPD structure studies are also discussed. Finally, valence-band ARXPS is considered, and it is shown that pronounced direct-transition effects can be observed provided that the specimen Debye-Waller factor is not too small. A simple free-electron final-state model is found to predict these direct-transition effects very well, and future studies at low temperatures and with higher angular resolution seem promising.