Origin of metallicity in atomic Ag wires on Si(557)

Abstract

We investigated the metallicity of Ag-root 3 ordered atomic wires close to one monolayer (ML) coverage, which are formed on Si(557) via self assembly. For this purpose we combined high resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy with tunneling microscopy. By extending the excess Ag coverage up to 0.6 ML on samples annealed at high temperatures where partial desorption occurs, we demonstrate that one-dimensional metallicity in the Ag-root 3 x root 3 R30 degrees ordered atomic wires on the (111) mini-terraces originates only from Ag atoms in excess of (local) monolayer coverage, which are adsorbed and localized at the highly stepped parts of the Si(557) surface. Thus these Ag atoms act as extrinsic dopants on the atomic scale, causing coverage dependent subband filling and increasing localization as a function of doping concentration. The second layer lattice gas as well as Ag islands on the (111) terraces turn out not to be relevant as dopants. We simulated the peculiar saturation behavior within a modified lattice gas model and give evidence that the preparation dependent saturation of doping is due to changes of average terrace size and step morphology induced by high temperature treatment.