Ultradense phosphorous delta layers grown into silicon from PH₃ molecular precursors

Phosphorous δ-doping layers were fabricated in silicon by PH ₃ deposition at room temperature, followed by low-temperature Si epitaxy. Scanning tunneling microscope images indicate large H coverage, and regions of c(2×2) structure. Hall data imply full carrier activation with mobility <40cm²/Vs when the surface coverage is ≲0.2ML. Conductivity measurements show a ln(T) behavior at low temperatures, characteristic of a high-density two-dimensional conductor. Possible future applications to atom-scale electronics and quantum computation are briefly discussed.