Electrostatic Implications for Sb-Mediated Growth of Ge on the Si(001) Surface


To be published in Surface Science Letters (1997)

S.J.Jenkins and G.P.Srivastava


Semiconductor Physics Group, Department of Physics, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QL, United Kingdom

The initial stages of Sb-mediated growth of Ge on the Si(001) surface are investigated using ab initio density functional theory. We present results of calculations on the Si(001)-/Sb/Ge(2x1) and Si(001)-/Ge/Sb(2x1) systems, which confirm that segregation of the Sb layer is favourable. The -/Sb/Ge surface is found to possess novel symmetric, elongated Ge dimers. We furthermore describe in detail the nature of the bonding at the surface and note the formation of a dipole layer in the -/Sb/Ge system which accounts for its relative instability.


Stephen Jenkins
Last modified: Tue May 13 15:45:00 BST 1997