Adsorption and desorption kinetics of gallium atoms on 6H-SiC(0001) surfaces

Gallium (Ga) surface adsorption and desorption kinetics on 6H-SiC(0001) are investigated using reflection high-energy electron diffraction. It is found that for Ga adsorption, a wetting layer bonds strongly to the SiC(0001) surface. Additional Ga atoms form droplets on top of the wetting layer. The Ga droplets behave like a metallic liquid. The activation energies for desorption are determined to be 3.5 eV for Ga in the wetting layer and 2.5 eV for Ga in the droplets. It is further found that the desorption of Ga atoms from the wetting layer follows a zero-order kinetics, i.e., the desorption rate is independent of the number of adsorbed atoms.