Surface and interface study of U/Si (111)

• Published in: Applied surface science Vol. 288; pp. 392 - 397
• Main Authors: Chen, Qiuyun, Feng, Wei, Zhu, Xiegang, Luo, Lizhu, Xie, Donghua, Tan, Shiyong, Lai, Xinchun
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier 01.01.2014
• Subjects: Annealing; Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Displays; Exact sciences and technology; Morphology; Physics; Reconstruction; Reflection; Scanning tunneling microscopy; Silicon; Uranium; Scanning tunneling microscopy; Electronic structure; Actinides; Uranium; Uranium silicide; Morphology; Silicon; STM; Surface structure
• ISSN: 0169-4332
• DOI: 10.1016/j.apsusc.2013.10.037

Thin uranium films were deposited on Si (111)-77 surface by e-beam evaporation. The surface and interface of U/Si (111) with different annealing temperatures were studied by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), low-energy electron diffraction (LEED), reflection high energy electron diffraction (RHEED) and photoemission spectroscopy. The formation of 2D uranium silicide (USi1.67) film was confirmed by the presence of a sharp 11 LEED pattern, and the surface morphology of this phase displays triangular layered structures. A new superstructure was found for the U-Si system when annealing the interface at 1000K. Further annealing of the interface leads to the appearance of large area of Si (111)-77 reconstruction surface with high islands on it.