Type of the second hole subband on the Si(110) surface: Spin splitting anisotropy

Magnetoresistance measurements have been performed for the cases of one and two occupied size-quantization hole subbands in silicon field-effect transistors prepared on the Si (110) surface. In both cases, Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations exhibit very weak sensitivity to the in-plane component of the magnetic field. This indicates that both lowest subbands are formed by heavy holes. This conclusion disagrees with the wide-spread opinion that the second subband is the ground subband of light holes in the system under consideration.