title: Conductivity of Si(111)-(7×7): the role of a single atomic step.
abstract: While it is known that the Si-(7×7) is a conducting surface, measured conductivity values differ by 7 orders of magnitude. Here we report a combined STM and transport method capable of surface conductivity measurement of step-free or single-step containing surface regions and having minimal interaction with the sample, and by which we quantitatively determine the intrinsic conductivity of the Si-(7×7) surface. We found that a single step has a conductivity per unit length about 50 times smaller than the flat surface. Our first principles quantum transport calculations confirm and lend insight into the experimental observation.
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Nanotechnology, National Research Council of Canada, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G2M9 and Department of Physics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2E1.
authors.forename: Bruno V C
authors.initials: BV
authors.lastname: Martins
authors.affiliation: Centre for the Physics of Materials and Department of Physics, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3A2T8.
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Smeu
authors.affiliation: Quantum Silicon Inc., Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2M9.
authors.forename: Lucian
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Livadaru
authors.affiliation: Centre for the Physics of Materials and Department of Physics, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3A2T8.
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Nanotechnology, National Research Council of Canada, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G2M9 and Department of Physics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2E1.
authors.forename: Robert A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Wolkow