| AVS 63rd International Symposium & Exhibition | |
| Surface Science | Tuesday Sessions |
| Session SS1+AS+HC+NS-TuM |
| Session: | Surface Dynamics, Non-Adiabaticity, and Theory and Modeling of Surface and Interfacial Phenomena |
| Presenter: | Dhruva Kulkarni, Clemson University |
| Authors: | D.D. Kulkarni, Clemson University D.A. Field, Clemson University D.B. Cutshall, Clemson University J.E. Harriss, Clemson University W.R. Harrell, Clemson University C.E. Sosolik, Clemson University |
| Correspondent: | Click to Email |
Specifically, alkali (Na+/Rb+) and noble gas(Arq+) ions were used to irradiate a Schottky diode consisting of
a thin film of Ag (~25nm) grown on an n-type Si (111) wafer. Measurements of the resultant current
through the device were performed as a function of energy, angle of incidence and velocity of the
incident ions. Energy loss of the incident energetic ions inside the metal film leads to the generation of
hot carriers that travel ballistically to the Schottky interface and are detected as a kinetically-induced
current or “kinecurrent” within the device. This kinecurrent is analogous to previous measurements of
“chemicurrent” [H. Nienhaus, Surface Science, 45, 1-78 (2002)], which were linked to the energy
delivered to a surface by exothermic reactions that could non-adiabatically couple to the electronic
structure and generate hot carriers.