High resolution scanning tunneling spectroscopy of ultrathin Pb on Si(1 1 1)-(6 × 6) substrate

The electronic structure of Si(1 1 1)–(6 × 6)Au surface covered with submonolayer amount of Pb is investigated using scanning tunneling spectroscopy. Already in small islands of Pb with thickness of 1 ML Pb(1 1 1) and with the diameter of only about 2 nm we detected the quantized electronic state with energy 0.55 eV below the Fermi level. Similarly, the I(V) characteristics made for the Si(1 1 1)–(6 × 6)Au surface reveal a localized energy state 0.3 eV below the Fermi level. These energies result from fitting of the theoretical curves to the experimental data. The calculations are based on tight binding Hubbard model. The theoretical calculations clearly show prominent modification of the I(V) curve due to variation of electronic and topographic properties of the STM tip apex.