Abstract
A custom-built multiple probe scanning tunneling microscope (STM) was used to perform measurements of the surface conductivity of Si(111)-7 × 7 and H–Si(111)-1 × 1 surfaces. Metallic contacts with points spaced <1 μm, deposited via electron-beam lithography, were used as contact points for two probes, while a central STM tip imaged the region between the contacts. A novel imaging method measuring the fraction of the tunneling current flowing to each contact was used to image surface conductivity with nanometer resolution. Si(111)-7 × 7 was shown to be significantly more conductive than H–Si(111)-1 × 1. Additionally, the resistance of single atomic steps on the Si(111)-7 × 7 was imaged using this method.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Wolkow, R.A.: Controlled molecular adsorption on silicon: Laying a foundation for molecular devices. Annu. Rev. Phys. Chem. 50, 413–441 (1999)
Pitters, J.L., Dogel, I.A., et al.: Charge control of surface dangling bonds using nanoscale schottky contacts. ACS Nano 5(3), 1984–1989 (2011)
Piva, P.G., DiLabio, G.A., et al.: Field regulation of single-molecule conductivity by a charged surface atom. Nature 435(7042), 658–661 (2005)
Wolkow, R.A.: Electrostatically Regulated Atomic Scale Electroconductivity Device (Patent filed 09/10/2007) (2007)
Kirczenow, G., Piva, P. G. et al.: Modulation of electrical conduction through individual molecules on silicon by the electrostatic fields of nearby polar molecules: theory and experiment. Phys. Rev. B. 80(3), (2009)
Haider, M.B., Pitters, J.L., et al.: Controlled coupling and occupation of silicon atomic quantum dots at room temperature. Phys. Rev. Lett. 102(4), 4 (2009)
Livadaru, L., Xue, P., et al.: Dangling-bond charge qubit on a silicon surface. New J. Phys. 12, 15 (2011)
Medeiros-Ribeiro, G., Ohlberg, D.A.A., et al.: Titanium disilicide nanostructures: two phases and their surfaces. Surf. Sci. 431(1–3), 116–127 (1999)
Goldfarb, I., Grossman, S., et al.: Evolution of epitaxial titanium silicide nanocrystals as a function of growth method and annealing treatments. Appl. Surf. Sci. 252(15), 5355–5360 (2006)
Binnig, G., Rohrer, H., et al.: 7X7 Reconstruction on Si(111) resolved in real space. Phys. Rev. Lett. 50(2), 120–123 (1983)
Vinh, L.T., Eddrief, M., et al.: Low-temperature formation of Si(111)7 × 7 surfaces from chemically prepared H/Si(111)-(1 × −1) surfaces. Appl. Phys. Lett. 64(24), 3308–3310 (1994)
Higashi, G.S., Chabal, Y.J., et al.: Ideal hydrogen termination of the Si-(111) surface. Appl. Phys. Lett. 56(7), 656–658 (1990)
Angermann, H., Kliefoth, K., et al.: Preparation of H-terminated Si surfaces and their characterisation by measuring the surface state density. Appl. Surf. Sci. 104, 107–112 (1996)
Rhoderick, E.H., Williams, R.H.: Metal-Semiconductor Contacts. Oxford University Press, Oxford (1988)
Muralt, P., Pohl, D.W.: Scanning tunneling potentiometry. Appl. Phys. Lett. 48(8), 514–516 (1986)
Losio, R., Altmann, K.N., et al.: Fermi surface of Si(111)7 × 7. Phys. Rev. B 61(16), 10845–10853 (2000)
Northrup, J.E.: Origin of surface-states on Si(111)(7 × 7). Phys. Rev. Lett. 57(1), 154–157 (1986)
Shiraki, I., Tanabe, F., et al.: Independently driven four-tip probes for conductivity measurements in ultrahigh vacuum. Surf. Sci. 493(1–3), 633–643 (2001)
Hasegawa, S., Shiraki, I., et al.: Electrical conduction through surface superstructures measured by microscopic four-point probes. Surf. Rev. Lett. 10(6), 963–980 (2003)
Wells, J.W., Kallehauge, J.F., et al.: Disentangling surface, bulk, and space-charge-layer conductivity in Si(111)-(7 × 7). Phys. Rev. Lett. 97(20), 206803 (2006)
Hasegawa, Y., Lyo, I.W., et al.: Measurement of surface state conductance using STM point contacts. Surf. Sci. 358(1–3), 32–37 (1996)
Heike, S., Watanabe, S., et al.: Electron conduction through surface states of the Si(111)-(7 × 7) surface. Phys. Rev. Lett. 81(4), 890–893 (1998)
Matsuda, I., Ueno, M., et al.: Electrical resistance of a monatomic step on a crystal surface. Phys. Rev. Lett. 93(23), 236801 (2004)
Bannani, A., Bobisch, C.A., et al.: Local potentiometry using a multiprobe scanning tunneling microscope. Rev. Sci. Instrum. 79(8), 083704 (2008)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2012 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this paper
Cite this paper
Zikovsky, J., Salomons, M.H., Dogel, S.A., Wolkow, R.A. (2012). Silicon Surface Conductance Investigated Using a Multiple-Probe Scanning Tunneling Microscope. In: Joachim, C. (eds) Atomic Scale Interconnection Machines. Advances in Atom and Single Molecule Machines. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-28172-3_13
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-28172-3_13
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-642-28171-6
Online ISBN: 978-3-642-28172-3
eBook Packages: Physics and AstronomyPhysics and Astronomy (R0)