Synchrotron-radiation photoemission study of the ultrathin Ba/3C–SiC(111) interface

• We study electronic structure of the nano-SiC layer synthesized by a new method.
• Ba/3C–SiC(111) was studied by synchrotron radiation photoemission spectroscopy.
• The valence band, the Si 2p, C 1s core level spectra were revealed.
• Two Ba induced surface states in the valence band region were found.
• Ba/3C–SiC(111) interface can be characterized as metallic-like.

Electronic structure of the Ba/3C–SiC(111) interface has been detailed studied in situ in an ultrahigh vacuum using synchrotron radiation photoemission spectroscopy with photon energies in the range of 100–450 eV. The 3C–SiC(111) samples were grown by a new method of epitaxy of low-defect unstressed nanoscaled silicon carbide films on silicon substrates. Valence band photoemission and both the Si 2p, C 1s core level spectra have been investigated as a function of Ba submonolayer coverage. Under Ba adsorption two induced surface bands are found at binding energies of 2 eV and 6 eV. It is obtained that Ba/3C–SiC(111) interface can be characterized as metallic-like. Modification of both the Si 2p and C 1s surface-related components were ascertained and shown to be provided by redistribution effect of electron density between Ba adatoms and both the Si surface and C interface atoms.