Electronic structure of Cr silicides and Si-Cr interface reactions

Abstract

We present synchrotron radiation photoemission studies of bulk Cr${\mathrm{Si}}_{2}$ and silicide phases grown on Si by thermal processing of the Si-Cr interface. Experiment shows that Si-Cr interface formation at room temperature results in reacted phases that differ from both bulk Cr${\mathrm{Si}}_{2}$ and in situ---grown Si-rich Cr${\mathrm{Si}}_{2}$. Extended---H\"uckel-theory linear combination of atomic orbitals calculations of the density of states of ${\mathrm{Cr}}_{3}$Si, CrSi, and Cr${\mathrm{Si}}_{2}$ show that Si---Cr bond formation involves Si $p$ and Cr $d$ states with minimal charge transfer.