Atomic wires on Ge(001):H surface

The drive toward miniaturization of electronic devices motivates investigations of atomic structures at semiconductor surfaces. In this chapter, we describe a full protocol of formation of atomic wires on Ge(001):H-(2×1) surface. The wires are composed of bare germanium dimers possessing dangling bonds, which introduce electronic states within the Ge(001):H surface band gap. With a view to the possible applications, we present detailed analysis of the electronic properties of short DB dimer lines and discuss strong electron–phonon coupling observed in STM experiments on single DB dimers. For longer DB dimer wires, this coupling is attenuated making their usage in future nanoelectronic devices feasible.