Induced Density Of Interface States Research Articles

Effect of binding group on hybridization across the silicon/aromatic-monolayer interface

We report a combined ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS) and density functional theory (DFT) study of the electronic structure of aromatic self-assembled monolayers covalently bound to Si, using several different aromatic groups (phenyl, biphenyl, and fluorene) and binding groups (O, NH, and CH2). We obtain excellent agreement between theory and experiment, which allows for a detailed interpretation of the experimental results. Our analysis reveals a significant effect of the binding group on state hybridization at the organic/inorganic interface. Specifically, it highlights that lone-pair electrons in the binding atom facilitate hybridization between the aromatic system and the Si substrate, resulting in a significant induced density of interface states (IDIS). These interface states are manifested as a broadened HOMO peak in the experimental UPS data and are clearly observed in a theoretical spatially-resolved density of states map. This provides means to control the degree of coupling between substrate and molecule, which may prove useful in the design of transport across organic/inorganic interfaces.

Orbital line-up at poly[2-methoxy-5-(2'-ethylhexyloxy)-p-phenylene vinylene] (MEH-PPV)/poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) heterojunction.

The poly[2-methoxy-5-(2'-ethylhexyloxy)-p-phenylene vinylene] (MEH-PPV)/poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) heterojunction was investigated by photoemission spectroscopy. The orbital line-up at the MEH-PPV/P3HT heterojunction was determined based on the data of X-ray and ultra-violet photoemission measurements. The results were discussed with reference to the Induced Density of Interface States (IDIS) and integer charge transfer models. The predicted interface orbital line-up by IDIS is in agreement with measured energy alignment of the investigated interface. This suggests the IDIS model is also valid for polymer/polymer heterojunctions.

The role of charge transfer in the energy level alignment at the pentacene/C60 interface

Understanding the mechanism of energy level alignment at organic-organic interfaces is a crucial line of research to optimize applications in organic electronics. We address this problem for the C60-pentacene interface by performing local-orbital Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations, including the effect of the charging energies on the energy gap of both organic materials. The results are analyzed within the induced density of interface states (IDIS) model. We find that the induced interface potential is in the range of 0.06-0.10 eV, in good agreement with the experimental evidence, and that such potential is mainly induced by the small, but non-negligible, charge transfer between the two compounds and the multipolar contribution associated with pentacene. We also suggest that an appropriate external intercompound potential could create an insulator-metal transition at the interface.

Barrier height formation in organic blends/metal interfaces: Case of tetrathiafulvalene-tetracyanoquinodimethane/Au(111)

The interface between the tetrathiafulvalene/tetracyanoquinodimethane (TTF-TCNQ) organic blend and the Au(111) metal surface is analyzed by Density Functional Theory calculations, including the effect of the charging energies on the molecule transport gaps. Given the strong donor and acceptor characters of the TTF and TCNQ molecules, respectively, there is a strong intermolecular interaction, with a relatively high charge transfer between the two organic materials, and between the organic layer and the metal surface. We find that the TCNQ LUMO peak is very close to the Fermi level; due to the interaction with the metal surface, the organic molecular levels are broadened, creating an important induced density of interface states (IDIS). We show that the interface energy level alignment is controlled by the charge transfer between TTF, TCNQ, and Au, and by the molecular dipoles created in the molecules because of their deformations when adsorbed on Au(111). A generalization of the Unified-IDIS model, to explain how the interface energy levels alignment is achieved for the case of this blended donor/acceptor organic layer, is presented by introducing matrix equations associated with the Charge Neutrality Levels of both organic materials and with their intermixed screening properties.

The transition behavior of FePc on Ag(1 1 0)

The transition behavior of FePc on Ag(110) has been investigated by room temperature scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and density functional theory (DFT) simulation. After FePc molecules deposited on Ag(110) surface, two adsorption structures were observed. The pathway between these different configurations was investigated by DFT simulation. The transition of electronic structures of FePc/Ag(110) interface and change in work function during the transformation were investigated by the calculated density of states (DOS) together with the application of induced density of interface states (IDIS).

Effect of K doping on CuPc: C60 heterojunctions

Here, the electronic properties of K-doped copper phthalocyanine (CuPc): C60 heterojunctions are studied via synchrotron-radiation photoemission. The K-doped heterointerfaces were obtained by means of C60 on K1.5CuPc and CuPc on K3C60. The photoelectron spectra show that the potassium prefers to combine with C60. At the C60/K1.5CuPc interface, the K diffuses and transfers negative charge into the C60 overlayer, while no strong chemical reaction could be found at the CuPc/K3C60 interface. A significant shift of the vacuum level was observed in both cases, which was caused by the charge transfer for the C60/K1.5CuPc and by the induced density of interface states (IDIS) dipole for the CuPc/K3C60. The energy level diagrams show that using C60 adsorption on a K-doped CuPc film is good for the improvement of photovoltaic devices. However, the inverse process, that of CuPc on a K-doped C60, is unfavorable for the photovoltaic effect.

C6H6/Au(111): Interface dipoles, band alignment, charging energy, and van der Waals interaction

We analyze the benzene/Au(111) interface taking into account charging energy effects to properly describe the electronic structure of the interface and van der Waals interactions to obtain the adsorption energy and geometry. We also analyze the interface dipoles and discuss the barrier formation as a function of the metal work-function. We interpret our DFT calculations within the induced density of interface states (IDIS) model. Our results compare well with experimental and other theoretical results, showing that the dipole formation of these interfaces is due to the charge transfer between the metal and benzene, as described in the IDIS model.

First-principles study of benzene on noble metal surfaces: Adsorption states and vacuum level shifts

We have studied the interaction of benzene with Cu(1 1 1), Ag(1 1 1) and Au(1 1 1) surfaces using density functional theory (DFT) within a generalized gradient approximation (GGA) and the van der Waals density functional [vdW-DF; M. Dion, H. Rydberg, E. Schröder, D.C. Langreth, B.I. Lundqvist, Phys. Rev. Lett. 92 (2004) 246401]. The adsorption energies using vdW-DF are significantly more accurate than those using GGA, while the equilibrium adsorption distances between benzene and metal substrates ( Z C eq ) calculated by both GGA and vdW-DF are almost identical. The work function changes induced by the adsorption of benzene are significantly underestimated compared with the experimental values, as a result of the overestimation of Z C eq by both GGA and vdW-DF. Instead of determining the Z C eq values from first-principles calculations, we deduced the most probable adsorption distances in such a way as to reproduce the experimentally-observed work function changes. The deduced adsorption distance ( Z C ded ) is shortest on Cu(1 1 1) while it is longest on Ag(1 1 1), reflecting the strength of the interactions between benzene and the metal surfaces. It turns out that the substrate dependence of the work function change is mainly ascribed to the difference in the benzene–metal distance ( Z C). Charge transfer and work function changes by the adsorption of benzene were analyzed by means of the induced density of interface states (IDIS) model [H. Vázquez, R. Qszwaldowski, P. Pou, J. Ortega, R. Pérez, F. Flores, A. Kahn, Europhys. Lett. 65 (2004) 802], and compared with the self-consistent GGA calculations. The vacuum level shifts estimated by the IDIS model agree with the GGA results for Z C ⩾ 0.3 nm . On the other hand, the discrepancy between the two methods becomes larger for Z C ⩽ 0.3 nm , where the back donation from the metal substrates to the adsorbate becomes significant. We show that the IDIS model reasonably works well for benzene on Cu(1 1 1), Ag(1 1 1) and Au(1 1 1) surfaces because Z C ded ≈ 0.3 nm on all surfaces. However, our analysis reveals that the actual charge density redistribution induced by the adsorption of benzene is more complicated than that assumed in the IDIS model.

Density functional theory calculations and the induced density of interface states model for noble metals/C60 interfaces

A local orbital density functional theory approach combined with a “scissor” operator is used to obtain the band alignment at the C60∕Au(111) interface. These calculations are interpreted within the induced density of interface states (IDIS) model, by means of the charge neutrality level, the screening parameter, and the “pillow” dipole. This analysis has been extended to the study of C60∕Ag(111) and C60∕Cu(111). The calculated interface dipoles are in good agreement with either experiments or other theoretical calculations, showing the validity of the IDIS model.

Modelling energy level alignment at organic interfaces and density functional theory

A review of our theoretical understanding of the band alignment at organic interfaces is presented with particular emphasis on the metal/organic (MO) case. The unified IDIS (induced density of interface states) and the ICT (integer charge transfer) models are reviewed and shown to describe qualitatively and semiquantitatively the barrier height formation at those interfaces. The IDIS model, governed by the organic CNL (charge neutrality level) and the interface screening includes: (a) charge transfer across the interface; (b) the "pillow" (or Pauli) effect associated with the compression of the metal wavefunction tails; and (c) the molecular dipoles. We argue that the ICT-model can be described as a limiting case of the unified IDIS-model for weak interface screening. For a fully quantitative understanding of the band alignment at organic interfaces, use of DFT (density functional theory) or quantum chemistry methods is highly desirable. In this Perspective review, we concentrate our discussion on DFT and show that conventional LDA or GGA calculations are limited by the "energy gap problem of the organic materials", because the LDA (or GGA) Kohn-Sham energy levels have to be corrected by the self-interaction energy of the corresponding wavefunction, to provide the appropriate molecule transport energy gap. Image potential and polarization effects at MO interfaces tend to cancel these self-interaction corrections; in particular, we show that for organic molecules lying flat on Cu and Ag, these cancellations are so strong that we can rely on conventional DFT to calculate their interface properties. For Au, however, the cancellations are weaker making it necessary to go beyond conventional DFT. We discuss several alternatives beyond conventional LDA or GGA. The most accurate approach is the well-known GW-technique, but its use is limited by its high demanding computer time. In a very simple approach one can combine conventional DFT with a "scissor" operator which incorporates self-interaction corrections and polarization effects in the organic energy levels. Hybrid potentials combined with conventional DFT represent, probably, the best alternative for having a simple and accurate approach for analyzing organic interfaces. The problem then is to find an appropriate one for both the metal and the organic material in a plane-wave formulation; we show, however, how to overcome this difficulty using a local-orbital basis formulation. As examples of these alternatives, we present some DFT-calculations for several organic interfaces, using either the scissor operator or a hybrid potential, which can be interpreted in terms of the unified IDIS-model.

A role of metal d-band in the interfacial electronic structure at organic/metal interface: PTCDA on Au, Ag and Cu

We analyzed the vacuum level shift ( Δ) induced by the dipole layer at the interfaces between perylene-3,4,9,10-tetracarboxylic dianhydride (PTCDA) and noble metals (Au, Ag and Cu). The variation of Δ observed by ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy does not show a simple dependence on the metal work function, which contradicts the prediction by the induced density of interface states (IDIS) model proposed by Vázquez et al. [H. Vázquez, F. Flores, R. Oszwaldowski, J. Ortega, R. Pérez and A. Kahn, Appl. Surf. Sci 234 (2004) 107]. We found that two factors, (1) the energy separation between the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) of PTCDA and the metal d-band states, which results in the attractive effect due to the orbital hybridization, and (2) the coupling matrix element between the adsorbate states and the metal d-band states, which result in the repulsive effect due to the orbital orthogonalization between the adsorbate states and the metal d-band states, have a clear correlation with the Δ formation. Our results indicate that the interactions between the molecular orbitals of PTCDA and the metal d-band states play an important role in determining the interfacial electronic structure, which has not been taken into account within the framework of the IDIS model.

A unified model for metal/organic interfaces: IDIS, ‘pillow’ effect and molecular permanent dipoles

A unified model, embodying the induced density of interface states (IDIS) model, the reduction of the metal work function due to the adsorbed molecules (‘pillow’ effect) and molecular permanent dipoles, is presented for describing the barrier formation at metal/organic interfaces. While the IDIS model and ‘pillow’ effect have been described in previous approaches, in this paper we show how to introduce molecular permanent dipoles in the interface barrier formation. Examples for Au or Al/organic interfaces are discussed, which show the validity of our results and the generality of our formalism.

Energy level alignment at metal/organic semiconductor interfaces: “Pillow” effect, induced density of interface states, and charge neutrality level

A unified model, embodying the "pillow" effect and the induced density of interface states (IDIS) model, is presented for describing the level alignment at a metal/organic interface. The pillow effect, which originates from the orthogonalization of the metal and organic wave functions, is calculated using a many-body linear combination of atomic orbitals Hamiltonian, whereby electron long-range interactions are obtained using an expansion in the metal/organic wave function overlap, while the electronic charge of both materials remains unchanged. This approach yields the pillow dipole and represents the first effect induced by the metal/organic interaction, resulting in a reduction of the metal work function. In a second step, we consider how charge is transferred between the metal and the organic material by means of the IDIS model: Charge transfer is determined by the relative position of the metal work function (corrected by the pillow effect) and the organic charge neutrality level, as well as by an interface parameter S, which measures how this potential difference is screened. In our approach, we show that the combined IDIS-pillow effects can be described in terms of the original IDIS alignment corrected by a screened pillow dipole. For the organic materials considered in this paper, we see that the IDIS dipole already represents most of the realignment induced at the metal/organic interface. We therefore conclude that the pillow effect yields minor corrections to the IDIS model.

Barrier formation at metal–organic interfaces: dipole formation and the charge neutrality level

The barrier formation for metal–organic semiconductor interfaces is analyzed within the induced density of interface states (IDIS) model. Using weak chemisorption theory, we calculate the induced density of states in the organic energy gap and show that it is high enough to control the barrier formation. We calculate the charge neutrality levels of several organic molecules: 3,4,9,10-perylenetetracarboxylic dianhydride (PTCDA), 3,4,9,10-perylenetetracarboxylic bisbenzimidazole (PTCBI) and 4,4′, N, N′-dicarbazolyl biphenyl (CBP) and the interface Fermi level for their contact with a Au (1 1 1) surface. We find an excellent agreement with the experimental evidence and conclude that the barrier formation is due to the charge transfer between the metal and the states induced in the organic energy gap.