Behavior of binary metal adsorbates on Si(111) surface under thermal annealing and ion bombardment using RBS

Abstract

This paper reviews atomic structures and binding energies of binary Au and Ag atoms adsorbed at the Si(111) surface which have been studied under thermal annealing and ion bombardment by major use of Rutherford Backscattering Spectroscopy (RBS) and transmission ion channeling with low energy electron diffraction (LEED) and Auger Electron Spectroscopy (AES). On iso-chronal annealing from 200 °C to 430 °C for 15 min, it is shown by LEED that the Ag/Si(111)-5×1-Au surface shows the √3×√3 structure on the initial annealing at 200 °C and the Ag/Si(111)-√3×√3-Au surface with Ag coverages above 0.6 ML shows the 2√3×2√3 structure on the initial annealing, which changes into the √21×√21R(±10.89°) structure and furthermore into the √3×√3 structure as the temperature rises. The atomic arrangements and binding strengths of Au and Ag at the 2√3×2√3-(Au, Ag) surface have been determined by ion impact desorption with 5 keV Ar+ ions and transmission ion channeling with 6 MeV Li ions. The double layered structure and the ...