Film Thickness of Pb Islands on the Si(111) Surface

Th. Späth, M. Popp, and R. Hoffmann-Vogel
Phys. Rev. Lett. 124, 016101 – Published 10 January 2020

Abstract

We analyze topographic scanning force microscopy images together with Kelvin probe images obtained on Pb islands and on the wetting layer on Si(111) for variable annealing times. Within the wetting layer we observe negatively charged Si-rich areas. We show evidence that these Si-rich areas result from islands that have disappeared by coarsening. We argue that the islands are located on Si-rich areas inside the wetting layer such that the Pb/Si interface of the islands is in line with the top of the wetting layer rather than with its interface to the substrate. We propose that the Pb island heights are one atomic layer smaller than previously believed. For the quantum size effect bilayer oscillations of the work function observed in this system, we conclude that for film thicknesses below 9 atomic layers large values of the work function correspond to even numbers of monolayers instead of odd ones. The atomically precise island height is important to understand ultrafast “explosive” island growth in this system.

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  • Received 13 November 2018
  • Revised 27 August 2019

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.124.016101

© 2020 American Physical Society

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Condensed Matter, Materials & Applied Physics

Authors & Affiliations

Th. Späth1,*, M. Popp1,†, and R. Hoffmann-Vogel2,3,‡

  • 1Physikalisches Institut, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany
  • 2Department of Physics, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstrasse 10, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
  • 3Institut für Physik und Astronomie, Universität Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Strasse 24-25, 14476 Potsdam, Germany

  • *Present address: Department of Materials Science, Darmstadt University of Technology, Jovanka-Bontschits-Strasse 2, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany.
  • Present address: Department of Physics, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Staudtstrasse 7, 91058 Erlangen, Germany.
  • hoffmannvogel@uni-potsdam.de

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Vol. 124, Iss. 1 — 10 January 2020

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