Formation of iron and iron silicides on silicon and iron surfaces. Role of the deposition rate and volumetric effects

• Published in: Applied physics. A, Materials science & processing Vol. 112; no. 2; pp. 507 - 515
• Main Authors: Gouralnik, A. S., Dotsenko, S. A., Galkin, N. G., Ivanov, V. A., Plotnikov, V. S., Pustovalov, E. V., Cherednichenko, A. I., Gutakovski, A. K., Neklyudova, M. A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01-08-2013
• Subjects: Channels; Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Condensed Matter Physics; Deposition; Diffusion; Iron; Iron silicide; Machines; Manufacturing; Nanotechnology; Optical and Electronic Materials; Physics; Physics and Astronomy; Processes; Sandwich structures; Silicon; Surfaces and Interfaces; Thin Films; X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy; Fe3Si; Interplane Distance; High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy; Volume Defect
• ISSN: 0947-8396; 1432-0630
• DOI: 10.1007/s00339-012-7440-2

A thin iron film deposited at the rate of 10
3
nm/sec on the Si(001) surface and a sandwich structure silicon/iron/Si(111) are studied by Surface Magneto-Optic Kerr Effect, High Resolution Electron Microscopy and X-ray Photoelectron Microscopy methods. The phases present in the structures are identified. Both structures are non-uniform. The ultra-fast-deposited film is magnetically hard (
H
c
=45 Oe), it contains the silicide Fe
5
Si
3
. The XPS line shift by +0.55 eV with respect to the pure iron 2p 3/2 level is attributed to Fe
5
Si
3
. The cross-section image of the sandwich structure shows the presence of enhanced-intermixing channels crossing the Si-rich layer. Iron atoms are the main diffusion species both at the Fe/Si(111) and Si/Fe interfaces. The nature of the volume defect and internal stresses in the transforming iron silicides and their effects on material intermixing and film growth process are discussed.