Spectroscopy, interaction with radiation

Synchrotron radiation photoemission study of the electronic structure of the ultrathin K/AlN interface

G. V. Benemanskaya^a, S. N. Timoshnev^b, G. N. Iluridze^c, T. A. Minashvili<sup>c

a</sup> Ioffe Institute, 194021 St. Petersburg, Russia
^b Alferov University, 194021 St. Petersburg, Russia
^c Georgian Technical University, 0175 Tbilisi, Georgia

Abstract: The electronic structure of the clean AlN surface and the ultrathin K/AlN interface has been studied in situ by synchrotron-based photoelectron spectroscopy using the photon energies in the range of 100–650 eV. The effect of K adsorption was studied. Changes in the valence band and in the Al $2p$, N $1s$, and K $3p$ core levels spectra have been investigated using K submonolayer deposition. Modification of the surface electronic structure of the AlN caused by K adsorption is found to originate from the local interaction of N surface atoms and K adatoms. As a results the suppression of intrinsic surface state and appearance of a new induced state are observed. It was found the K-induced electron redistribution effect that causes the positive energy shift of N $1s$ surface peak and increasing N-ionicity.

Keywords: III-nitrides, electronic structure, surface states, metal-III-nitride interfaces, photoelectron spectroscopy.

Received: 25.02.2022
Revised: 25.03.2022
Accepted: 25.03.2022

Language: English

DOI: 10.21883/ftp.2022.06.52616.9821a

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