Molecular adsorption on semiconductor surfaces

This area of our research looks at how molecules adsorb and interact with semiconductor surfaces, mainly using low-temperature STM. We study adsorption structures, reaction pathways, and how molecules can be used as precursors for introducing dopants or for building simple molecular devices.

STM and DFT

Our experimental work is supported by density-functional theory (DFT), which helps us interpret adsorption geometries, reaction products, and electronic structure. STM and DFT together provide a straightforward way to link what we see in real space with the underlying atomic-scale processes.

Applications

Understanding molecule–surface interactions is important for:

• using molecular precursors to place dopants with high precision
• exploring simple molecular electronic structures on silicon and germanium
• investigating how adsorbed molecules modify the local electronic environment

This page will be expanded with more examples and images in future.

Selected publications

Roadmap on atomic-scale semiconductor devices

Steven R Schofield, Andrew J Fisher, Eran Ginossar, Joseph W Lyding, Richard Silver, …, Ezra Bussmann, Quinn Campbell, Xujiao Gao, Tzu-Ming Lu, Scott W Schmucker

Nano Futures  ·  31 Mar 2025  ·  doi:10.1088/2399-1984/ada901

This roadmap reviews 25 years of progress since Kane’s proposal for donor-based qubits in silicon, charting advances, challenges, and future directions in atomic-scale semiconductor quantum technologies.

Adsorption and Thermal Decomposition of Triphenyl Bismuth on Silicon (001)

Eric A. S. Lundgren, Carly Byron, Procopios Constantinou, Taylor J. Z. Stock, Neil J. Curson, Lars Thomsen, Oliver Warschkow, Andrew V. Teplyakov, Steven R. Schofield

The Journal of Physical Chemistry C  ·  14 Aug 2023  ·  doi:10.1021/acs.jpcc.3c03916

Bismuth trichloride as a molecular precursor for silicon doping

Eric A. S. Lundgren, Rebecca Conybeare, Taylor J. Z. Stock, Neil J. Curson, Oliver Warschkow, Steven R. Schofield

Applied Physics Letters  ·  10 Apr 2023  ·  doi:10.1063/5.0145772

Room Temperature Incorporation of Arsenic Atoms into the Germanium (001) Surface**

Emily V. S. Hofmann, Taylor J. Z. Stock, Oliver Warschkow, Rebecca Conybeare, Neil J. Curson, Steven R. Schofield

Angewandte Chemie International Edition  ·  10 Jan 2023  ·  doi:10.1002/anie.202213982

This paper reports that arsenic incorporates into Ge(001) at room temperature, addressing a key challenge for scalable donor-based quantum devices.

Reaction paths of phosphine dissociation on silicon (001)

O. Warschkow, N. J. Curson, S. R. Schofield, N. A. Marks, H. F. Wilson, M. W. Radny, P. V. Smith, T. C. G. Reusch, D. R. McKenzie, M. Y. Simmons

The Journal of Chemical Physics  ·  07 Jan 2016  ·  doi:10.1063/1.4939124

Manipulating the orientation of an organic adsorbate on silicon: a NEXAFS study of acetophenone on Si(0 0 1)

Kane M O’Donnell, Oliver Warschkow, Asif Suleman, Adam Fahy, Lars Thomsen, Steven R Schofield

Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter  ·  21 Nov 2014  ·  doi:10.1088/0953-8984/27/5/054002