Adsorption of bismuth on Si(001) studied by AES, REELS and mass spectrometry

The morphology of bismuth layers on Si(001) has been investigated by electron spectroscopy methods (AES, EELS) and thermodesorption mass-spectrometry. Island formation on the first Bi continuous monolayer occurs during bismuth deposition at room temperature. The thermodesorption of this system at a temperature of ∼ 500°C leads to the formation of at least one stable adsorbed Bi phase with a coverage of ∼ 0.6-0.7 ML. Bi O _4.5-line REELS of the {Bi}/{Si(001) } system has demonstrated the covalent character of the BiSi bond.