Time-resolved core level photoemission: surface photovoltage dynamics of the SiO2/Si(100) interface

Abstract Combined laser and synchrotron radiation (SR) photoelectron spectroscopy with a temporal resolution of 60 ps has been applied to study the relaxation of the surface photovoltage (SPV) after laser pulse excitation for a SiO 2 /Si(1 0 0) interface. For zero time delay between laser and SR pulses the Si 2p core level exhibits an initial spectral shift of 300 meV which relaxes non-exponentially to about 100 meV after 800 ns. The relaxation of the SPV can be modeled using a self-decelerating carrier relaxation based on a thermionic emission model.