Scanning tunneling spectroscopy is used to study p-type Ge(111)c(8 2 ×) sur faces over the temperature range 7 to 61 K. Surface states arising from adatoms and rest-atoms are observed. With consideration of tip-induced band bending, a surface band gap of 1 0 5 0. . ± eV separating the bulk valence band from the surface adatom band is deduced. Peak positions of adatom states are located at energies of eV 02 0 09 0. . ± and eV 03 0 24 0. . ± above this gap. A spectral feature arising from inversion of the adatom state occupation is also identified. A solution of Poisson's equation for the tipsemiconductor system yields a value for the interband current in agreement with the observations, for an assumed tip radius of 100 nm. The rest-atom spectral peak, observed at eV 0. 1 ≈ below the valence band maximum, is observed to shift as a function of tunnel current. It is argued that nonequilibrium occupation of disorder-induced surface states produces this shift.

InAs/GaAs quantum-dot heterostructures grown by molecular-beam epitaxy are studied using cross-sectional scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy. Individual InAs quantum dots (QDs) are resolved in the images. Tunneling spectra acquired 3-4 nm from the QDs show a peak located in the upper part of the GaAs bandgap originating from the lowest electron confined state, together with a tail extending out from the valence band from hole confined states. A line-shape analysis is used to deduce the binding energies of the electron and hole QD states.Published in Appl. Phys. Lett. 97, 123110 (2010).

InAs/GaAs quantum dot heterostructures grown by molecular-beam epitaxy are studied using cross-sectional scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy. The images reveal individual InAs quantum dots (QDs) having a lens shape with maximum base diameter of 10.5 nm and height of 2.9 nm. Analysis of strain relaxation of the QDs reveals an indium composition varying from 65% at the base of the QD, to 95% at its center, and back to 65% at its apex. Room-temperature tunneling spectra acquired 3-4 nm from the center of a dot show a peak located in the upper part of the GaAs bandgap originating from the lowest electron confined state of the QD, along with a tail in the conductance extending out from the valence band and originating from QD hole states. A computational method is developed for simulating the tunneling spectra using effectivemass bands treated in an envelope-function approximation. By comparison of the computations to low-current spectra, the energy of the lowest electron and highest hole QD states are determined. These energies are found to be in reasonably good agreement both with optical measurements and prior theoretical predictions of Wang et al. [Phys. Rev. B 59, 5678 (1999)].

Steps on GaAs(110) surfaces, with step-normal vectors parallel to [001], are studied by scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy. Two possible orientations of the steps occur, with outward normal vectors of [001] or [ 1 00 ], which in simple bulk-terminated form have Ga (cations) or As (anions) on their edges, respectively. The latter type of step in n-type or undoped material is found to retain its bulk-terminated form. A band of states is observed extending out from the valence band, associated with the dangling bonds of the terminating As atoms. It is argued that compensation of the dangling bonds on the step edges is the driving force for the step structure, producing reconstruction of the step edges in certain cases.

The effects of initial surface morphology on the early stages of porous SiC formation under highly biased photoelectrochemical etching conditions are discussed. We etched both Si-face and C-face polished n-type 6H SiC with different surface finishes prepared either by mechanical polishing or by chemical mechanical polishing at NOVASiC. For both Si-face and C-face porous SiC samples, a variety of surface and cross sectional porous morphologies, due to different surface finishes, are observed. The proposed explanation is based on the spatial distribution of holes at the interface of the SiC and electrolyte inside the semiconductor.