Combined theoretical and experimental study of band-edge control of Si through surface functionalization

The band-edge positions of H-, Cl-, Br-, methyl-, and ethyl-terminated Si(111) surfaces were investigated through a combination of density functional theory (DFT) and many-body perturbation theory, as well as by photoelectron spectroscopy and electrical device measurements. The calculated trends in surface potential shifts as a function of the adsorbate type and coverage are consistent with the calculated strength and direction of the dipole moment of the adsorbate radicals in conjunction with simple electronegativity-based expectations. The quasi-particle energies, such as the ionization potential (IP), that were calculated by use of many-body perturbation theory were in good agreement with experiment. The IP values that were calculated by DFT exhibited substantial errors, but nevertheless, the IP differences, i.e., IP _R-Si(111)-IP_H-Si(111), computed using DFT were in good agreement with spectroscopic and electrical measurements.