Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 19, 2025

All-electronic Nanosecond-resolved Scanning Tunneling Microscopy: Facilitating the Investigation of Single Dopant Charge Dynamics
Published on: January 19, 2018
Ionic charge distributions in silicon atomic surface wires
Jeremiah Croshaw1, Taleana Huff2, Mohammad Rashidi3
1Department of Physics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2J1, Canada. rwolkow@ualberta.ca and Quantum Silicon Inc., Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2M9, Canada.
Abstract:
Using a non-contact atomic force microscope (nc-AFM), we examine continuous dangling bond (DB) wire structures patterned on the hydrogen terminated silicon (100)-2 × 1 surface. By probing the DB structures at varying energies, we identify the formation of previously unobserved ionic charge distributions which are correlated to the net charge of DB wires and their predicted degrees of freedom in lattice distortions. Performing spectroscopic analysis, we identify higher energy configurations corresponding to alternative lattice distortions as well as tip-induced charging effects. By varying the length and orientation of these DB structures, we further highlight key features in the formation of these ionic surface phases.
Related Concept Videos
Semiconductors
Metals such as copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), or lead (Pb) have low resistivity and feature conduction bands that are either not fully occupied or overlap with the valence band, making a bandgap non-existent. This allows electrons in the highest energy levels of the valence band to easily transition to the conduction band upon gaining...
Charge on a Conductor
Electric Field at the Surface of a Conductor
In the 19th century, Michael Faraday conducted the famous ice pail experiment to prove that the charges always reside on the surface of a conductor. The experimental set-up consists of a conducting uncharged container mounted on an insulating stand. The outer surface of the container is...
Continuous Charge Distributions
The electric charge can also be subjected to an analogical...
Equipotential Surfaces and Conductors
Types of Semiconductors

