Metallization and incomplete melting of a semiconductor surface at high temperature
- 4 April 1994
- journal article
- research article
- Published by American Physical Society (APS) in Physical Review Letters
- Vol. 72 (14) , 2227-2230
- https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.72.2227
Abstract
We present a first microscopic study of the state of a semiconductor surface, clean Ge(111), close to the bulk melting temperature. Both electronic states and ionic motion are fully treated via first-principles molecular dynamics. Results indicate a clear dynamical disordering, confined, however, to the first atomic bilayer. This region acquires a liquidlike diffusion, and is metallic. Lack of melting of the second and deeper bilayers, found to be in good quantitative agreement with recent x-ray data, indicates an incomplete wetting of the semiconducting solid by its own metallic melt. Previously conflicting data on Ge(111) are also reconciled within this picture.Keywords
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