THE ADSORPTION OF I2 ON SI(111)-7X7 STUDIED BY SOFT-X-RAY PHOTOEMISSION

The adsorption Of I2 on Si(111)-7 x 7 at room temperature is studied with soft X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. I2 adsorbs dissociatively, forming a mixture of SiI, SiI2 and SiI3 moieties, of which SiI dominates. The Fermi level is pinned near mid-gap, moving slightly towards the conduction band as the I coverage increases. The surface work function increases monotonically with I coverage. The I 4d core-level displays a single chemical state, which decreases in binding energy with increasing coverage. Analysis of the Si 2p core-level spectra shows that the adsorption proceeds first by attachment of I to the dangling bonds of the 7 x 7 unit cell and that, at saturation, 1.57 +/- 0.05 ML of I atoms are adsorbed in 1.10 +/- 0.02 ML of SiI(x) groups. These results indicate that substrate Si-Si bonds are broken by reaction with I2. The total I coverage is limited, however, by the availability Of surface dangling bonds that are required to initiate the dissociation Of I2 molecules.