Investigation of grain boundaries in BaSi2 epitaxial films on Si(1 1 1) substrates using transmission electron microscopy and electron-beam-induced current technique

• Published in: Journal of crystal growth Vol. 348; no. 1; pp. 75 - 79
• Main Authors: Baba, Masakazu, Toh, Katsuaki, Toko, Kaoru, Saito, Noriyuki, Yoshizawa, Noriko, Jiptner, Karolin, Sekiguchi, Takashi, Hara, Kosuke O., Usami, Noritaka, Suemasu, Takashi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.06.2012; Elsevier
• Subjects: A3. Molecular beam epitaxy; B2. Semiconductor silicon compounds; Barium compounds; Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Defects and impurities: doping, implantation, distribution, concentration, etc; Diffraction; Disilicides; Exact sciences and technology; Grain boundaries; Intermetallics; Materials science; Methods of deposition of films and coatings; film growth and epitaxy; Molecular, atomic, ion, and chemical beam epitaxy; Physics; Semiconductors; Structure and morphology; thickness; Surfaces and interfaces; thin films and whiskers (structure and nonelectronic properties); Thin film structure and morphology; Transmission electron microscopy; A3. Molecular beam epitaxy; B2. Semiconductor silicon compounds; Grain size; Grain boundaries; Crystal defects; Epitaxial layers; Semiconductor materials; XRD; Minority carriers; RHEED; Barium silicide; Scattering lengths; Silicon compounds; Thin films; Transmission electron microscopy; EBIC; Molecular beam epitaxy; Crystal faces
• ISSN: 0022-0248; 1873-5002
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jcrysgro.2012.03.044

a-Axis-oriented undoped n-BaSi2 epitaxial films were grown on Si(111) substrates by molecular beam epitaxy, and the crystalline quality and grain boundaries were investigated by means of reflection high-energy electron diffraction, X-ray diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The grain size of the BaSi2 films was estimated to be approximately 0.1–0.3μm, and straight grain boundaries (GBs) were observed in the plan-view TEM images. Dark-field TEM images under a two-beam diffraction condition showed that these GBs consist mostly of BaSi2 {011} planes. The diffusion length of minority carriers in n-BaSi2 was found to be approximately 10μm by an electron-beam-induced current technique. ► Undoped n-type BaSi2 layers were grown epitaxially on Si(111). ► Grain size of the BaSi2 was found to be 0.1–0.3μm. ► Grain boundaries were found to consist of {011} plane of BaSi2. ► Diffusion length of minority carriers in the n-BaSi2 was estimated to be about 10μm.