Valence Bond Cluster Studies of Alkali Metal/Semiconductor Bonding
Abstract
We present results of cluster studies of alkali metal/semiconductor bonding. Using the Generalized Valence Bond (GVE) method, we find a remarkable consistency in the behavoir of bonding orbitals for a variety of systems, including: LiH, CLi4, LiH4 and several hypervalent systems, such as SiH3Li2, SiH4Li2. Our results show that the metal-semiconductor bonding in these systems can be understood in terms of a pairing between McAdon-Goddard type metallic bonding orbitals and a set of equivalent orbitals of the non-metallic species. We propose that the results are relevant to the initial stages of alkali overlayer growth on semiconductor surfaces and lead to a simple picture of the bonding including the transition from a non-conducting to a conducting layer. We have considered numerous proposed hypervalent structures in light of the above results and find that they can be understood.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 01, 1986
- Accession Number
- ADA184276
Entities
People
- Richard P. Messmer
- Robert C. Tatar
Organizations
- University of Pennsylvania