skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Scanning tunneling microscopic and spectroscopic studies on a crystalline silica monolayer epitaxially formed on hexagonal SiC(0001{sup ¯}) surfaces

Journal Article · · Applied Physics Letters
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4863753· OSTI ID:22283269
; ;  [1]; ;  [2]; ; ;  [3]; ;  [4]
  1. Department of Electronics Engineering and Computer Science, Fukuoka University, Fukuoka 814-0180 (Japan)
  2. Laser and Synchrotron Research Center, Institute for Solid State Physics, University of Tokyo, Chiba 277-8581 (Japan)
  3. Nanoscale Science Division, Institute for Solid State Physics, University of Tokyo, Chiba 277-8581 (Japan)
  4. Department of Applied Quantum Physics and Nuclear Engineering, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 819-0395 (Japan)

An epitaxial silicon-oxide monolayer of chemical composition of Si{sub 2}O{sub 3} (the Si{sub 2}O{sub 3} layer) formed on hexagonal SiC(0001{sup ¯}) surfaces has been observed by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). Filled- and empty-state STM images with atomic resolution support the previously reported model. Typical structural defects in the Si{sub 2}O{sub 3} layer are found to be missing SiO{sub n} (n = 1, 2, 3) molecules. The band gap of the Si{sub 2}O{sub 3} layer obtained by point tunneling spectroscopy is 5.5±0.5 eV, exhibiting considerable narrowing from that of bulk SiO{sub 2}, 8.9 eV. It is proposed that the Si{sub 2}O{sub 3} layer is suitable as a relevant interface material for formation of SiC-based metal-oxide-semiconductor devices.

OSTI ID:
22283269
Journal Information:
Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 104, Issue 5; Other Information: (c) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0003-6951
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English