Evidence for a diamondlike electronic band structure of Si multilayers on Ag(111)

Abstract

Silicon multilayers on Ag(111) have been suggested to exhibit the structure of silicene, a material that has been heralded as a novel basis for microelectronic applications. However, our angle-resolved photoemission spectra (ARPES) from silicon multilayers on Ag(111) and of the silver-induced reconstruction of Si(111) demonstrate, from the close match in the valence level band structures, that the films exhibit a $s{p}^{3}$ diamondlike structure. This refutes the interpretation of silicon multilayers on Ag(111) as silicene, a conclusion that is strengthened by the observation from core level photoemission that significant silver segregation occurs to the surface of these layers.