Project Details
Atomic and Electronic Structure of Clusters on Silicon Surfaces
Applicant
Professor Dr. Mario Dähne
Subject Area
Optics, Quantum Optics and Physics of Atoms, Molecules and Plasmas
Term
from 2010 to 2017
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 120401550
In order to bridge the gap from doped silicon clusters in the gas phase to cluster-related devices, this project addresses metal silicide clusters grown on silicon surfaces. Such structures may act as building blocks for future larger-scale applications. The clusters will be prepared in ultra-high vacuum (UHV) by self-organization using molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), and their atomic structure and individual electronic properties will be studied using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and spectroscopy (STS). Different cluster structures are expected to form, depending on the preparation conditions such as substrate orientation, exposure, or growth and annealing temperature. Special emphasis lies on the atomic structure within the clusters, a possibly ordered arrangement in one- or two-dimensional superlattices, and the spatially resolved study of their electronic states. In cooperation Raman experiments are planned using a mobile UHV transfer, being also used for studies of cluster and fullerene samples from collaborating projects.
DFG Programme
Research Units