Nanoscale structure of Si/SiO2/organics interfaces

Hans Georg Steinrück, Andreas Schiener, Torben Schindler, Johannes Will, Andreas Magerl, Oleg Konovalov, Giovanni Li Destri, Oliver H. Seeck, Markus Mezger, Julia Haddad, Moshe Deutsch, Antonio Checco, Benjamin M. Ocko

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

38 Scopus citations

Abstract

X-ray reflectivity measurements of increasingly more complex interfaces involving silicon (001) substrates reveal the existence of a thin low-density layer intruding between the single-crystalline silicon and the amorphous native SiO2 terminating it. The importance of accounting for this layer in modeling silicon/liquid interfaces and silicon-supported monolayers is demonstrated by comparing fits of the measured reflectivity curves by models including and excluding this layer. The inclusion of this layer, with 6-8 missing electrons per silicon unit cell area, consistent with one missing oxygen atom whose bonds remain hydrogen passivated, is found to be particularly important for an accurate and high-resolution determination of the surface normal density profile from reflectivities spanning extended momentum transfer ranges, now measurable at modern third-generation synchrotron sources.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)12676-12681
Number of pages6
JournalACS Nano
Volume8
Issue number12
DOIs
StatePublished - 23 Dec 2014

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2014 American Chemical Society.

Funding

FundersFunder number
U.S. Department of EnergyDE-AC02-76CH0016

    Keywords

    • X-ray reflectivity
    • native silicon oxide
    • self-Assembled monolayers
    • thin films

    Fingerprint

    Dive into the research topics of 'Nanoscale structure of Si/SiO2/organics interfaces'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

    Cite this