Following Gibbs' approach, a general electrostatic model of heterogeneous systems with non-homogeneous interfaces was proposed. The intrinsic surface polarization was taken into account through the introduction of a surface dielectric constant and the electrostatic boundary conditions were generalized as two-dimensional Poisson equations. This model was applied to analyse the electrostatic potential of a charged step defect on a semiconductor surface. The step line charge density, the surface charge density, and the surface dielectric permittivity were determined from the experimental data for the InP (110) surface.

Screened Potential of a Charged Step Defect on a Semiconductor Surface. R.Slavchov, T.Ivanov, B.Radoev: Journal of Physics - Condensed Matter, 2007, 19[22], 226005 (6pp)