Structural and Electronic Properties of Rare-Earth Nanowires

Andrew Pratt, Charles Woffinden, Christopher Bonet, Steve P. Tear

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

Abstract

Sub-monolayer coverages of the rare-earth metal Ho were deposited onto Si(001) substrates at elevated temperatures resulting in the formation of rare-earth silicide nanowires. Between the nanowires the substrate area reconstructs into either a 2x4 or 2x7 reconstruction depending on the specific preparation conditions. We have studied the structural and electronic properties of both the nanowires and the reconstructed areas with the complementary techniques of scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and metastable de-excitation spectroscopy (MDS) revealing the electronic similarities between the 2x4 and 2x7 phases. Evidence for the presence of hybridized Si 3s3p-Ho 6s5d bonds suggests that these reconstructions form as a precursor to nanowire growth.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationFRACTAL GEOMETRY AND STOCHASTICS IV
EditorsC Bandt, P Morters, M Zahle
Place of PublicationCAMBRIDGE
PublisherBirkhauser Boston
Pages51-55
Number of pages5
Volume1144
ISBN (Print)978-3-0346-0029-3
Publication statusPublished - 2009
Event4th Conference on Fractal Geometry and Stochastics - Greifswald
Duration: 8 Sept 200812 Sept 2008

Conference

Conference4th Conference on Fractal Geometry and Stochastics
CityGreifswald
Period8/09/0812/09/08

Keywords

  • STM

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