Electronic and crystalline structure of Si/SiO₂ interface modified by ArF excimer laser

The native oxide layers on Si(100) surface were irradiated under UHV conditions by an ArF excimer laser pulses with energy density varied between melting and evaporating thresholds. The resulting changes were studied by LEED, AES and UPS. The increase of the energy density up to evaporation threshold results in the recrystallisation of native oxide layer. The pulses with energy densities just above the evaporation threshold ablate the top layer leaving an ordered and atomicaly clean surface. The observed (1x1) surface reconstruction is probably stabilised by strains introduced during rapid melting and quenching of the topmost layers. The surface electronic structure is dominated by random satisfaction of dangling bonds swearing a well defined surface states observed on (2x1)Si(100) surface.