Synthesis and properties of epitaxial semiconducting silicides

• Published in: Applied surface science 1993-11, Vol.73, p.90-101
• Main Authors: Derrien, J., Chevrier, J., Thanh Vinh, Le, Berbezier, I., Giannini, C., Lagomarsino, S., Grimaldi, M.G.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Exact sciences and technology; Materials science; Methods of deposition of films and coatings; film growth and epitaxy; Molecular, atomic, ion, and chemical beam epitaxy; Physics; Solid phase epitaxy; growth from solid phases
• ISSN: 0169-4332; 1873-5584
• DOI: 10.1016/0169-4332(93)90151-Z

The state-of-the-art in the preparation and characterization of epitaxial semiconducting silicides will be reviewed in this report. Emphasis will be put on thin FeSi 2 layers epitaxially grown on Si substrates. The mechanisms of silicide formation will be discussed through results obtained by a large variety of in-situ techniques (RHEED, Auger, photoemission, …) and ex-situ techniques (X-ray diffraction, RBS, electron microscopy). Moreover, for ultra-thin FeSi 2 films, several strained pseudomorphic and metallic phases induced by epitaxy are observed on top of Si substrates. Their transition towards the stable relaxed semiconducting β-FeSi 2 will be presented. Recent findings of the metallic α-FeSi 2 phase observed at surprisingly low temperature and its relaxation towards the β-phase will also be reported.