Switching the charge state of individual surface atoms at Si(111)-√3 × √3:B surfaces.

Abstract

We show that each surface atom of heavily boron-doped, (111)-oriented silicon with a √3 × √3 reconstruction has electrically switchable two charge states due to the strong electron-lattice coupling at this surface. The structural and electronic properties of the two charge states as well as their energetics are uncovered by employing scanning tunneling microscopy measurements and density functional theory calculations, which reveals that one of the two is a two-electron bound state or surface bipolaron. We also execute the single-atom bit operations on individual surface atoms by controlling their charge states while demonstrating implementation of the atomic scale memory at a silicon surface with an unprecedented recording density.