Growth of Fe on Si (100) at room temperature and formation of iron silicide

• Published in: Thin solid films Vol. 280; no. 1; pp. 171 - 177
• Main Authors: Rührnschopf, K., Borgmann, D., Wedler, G.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Lausanne Elsevier B.V 01.07.1996; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Exact sciences and technology; Growth mechanism; Iron; Materials science; Methods of deposition of films and coatings; film growth and epitaxy; Physics; Silicides; X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS); Iron; Silicides; X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS); Growth mechanism; Thin films; Ambient temperature; Silicon; LEED; Experimental study; Iron silicides; Photoelectron spectroscopy; AES
• ISSN: 0040-6090; 1879-2731
• DOI: 10.1016/0040-6090(95)08248-4

Low-energy electron diffraction (LEED), Auger electron spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) investigations of both the growth of an iron film on silicon (100) at room temperature and the subsequent formation of iron silicide are the subjects of this paper. An in-situ cleaned silicon (100) wafer without carbon or oxygen contamination exhibiting the known 2 × 1 reconstruction in the LEED pattern served as the substrate. Iron was deposited on this reconstructed surface at 300 K. The comparison of theoretical calculations based on three growth mechanisms with XPS data obtained with take-off angles of 0° and 50° clearly demonstrates a layer-by-layer growth of the iron film on silicon (100). At 300 K no formation of iron silicide was observed, although an interaction between iron and silicon could be detected at the interface. The formation of iron silicide was observed at annealing temperatures of 630–730 K. Quantitative XPS analysis yields the presence of FeSi 2, when the thickness is large enough. Neither the iron film on silicon nor the silicide shows any LEED pattern.