Growth of single-crystal CoSi2 on Si(111)

Abstract

Single-crystal CoSi2 films have been grown under ultrahigh vacuum conditions on Si (111) by both standard deposition and molecular beam epitaxy techniques. Films were analyzed by Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy and channeling, transmission electron microscopy, and low energy electron diffraction. The films are free of grain boundaries but are rotated 180° about the normal to the Si surface. The crystalline perfection, as measured by channeling, is the best yet reported for an epitaxial silicide system. The expected hexagonal misfit dislocation arrays, along with a coarser triangular defect structure, are confined to the plane of the interface.