
Kelvin probe force microscopy (KFM) working at low temperatures (13 K) is used to study local electronic potential fluctuations induced by individual phosphorus donors. Electronic potential maps were measured at the surface of thin phosphorus-doped channel of silicon-on-insulator field-effect transistors for different values of backgate voltage. We observed local changes of the potential profile with increasing backgate voltage, indicating electron injection in the channel. Single-step changes in the depth of the fine potential wells, observed by changing backgate voltage, are ascribed to single-electron charging in individual donors. For clusters of donors, with overlapped potential wells, electron charging occurs gradually, without single-step behavior, as the backgate voltage becomes more positive.
