Ultra-thin Si overlayers on the TiO2 (110)-(1×2) surface: Growth mode and electronic properties

Electronically Passivated Hole‐Blocking Titanium Dioxide/Silicon Heterojunction for Hybrid Silicon Photovoltaics

“…In all cases, the Si2p peak corresponding to bulk silicon dominates the spectra, indicating that the interface has not undergone a chemical reaction and is spatially abrupt. This is in contrast with TiO 2 /Si interfaces formed via less gentle and higher temperature processes, which have shown the presence of combinations of titanium silicides, titanium oxides, and silicon oxides of various stoichiometries …”

Characterization of thin silicon overlayers on rutileTiO2(110)−(1×1)

“…44 This suggests a disordered layer, similar to the case of Si on the 1 × 2 reconstructed surface. 33 Notice that there is a slight emission increase in the band gap region between 0 and 3 eV below de Fermi energy (inset in Fig. 6).…”

“…This feature also appears in Si films of 1 and 4 ML on the 1 × 2 surface reconstruction after a heat treatment. 33 We assign it to a strong Si-O bond between O 2p and Si 3s, 3p. 44,46 Experiments have been performed at room temperature, while all the calculations are at T = 0 K, explaining why the experimental peaks show larger widths.…”

The solid–solid interface: Explaining the high and unique photocatalytic reactivity of TiO2-based nanocomposite materials

“…In addition, they suggested that research on TiO 2 -SiO 2 nanocomposites should be directed at the elucidation of the properties of TiO 2 nanoparticles and the role played by reduced Ti species (Ti 3+ defects). Abad and co-workers found that thin sub-nanometric silicon films grown on TiO 2 reconstructed surfaces were oxidized, forming SiO 2 and different silicon suboxides (SiOx with 1 < x < 2), while the substrate Ti cations were reduced and cross-linking Ti-O-Si bonds were created at the interface region [126]. The authors suggested that the strong interaction of TiO 2 with the substrate leads to surface disorder.…”