EPITAXIAL METAL SILICIDES - INTERFACE MAPPING BY SCANNING PROBE TECHNIQUES

The defect structures at epitaxial CoSi2 interfaces were imaged by mea ns of scanning tunneling microscopy, scanning tunneling spectroscopy ( STS), modulation spectroscopy (MS), and ballistic electron-emission mi croscopy (BEEM). Interfacial dislocations and point defects in thin fi lms give rise to significant contrast in BEEM images. The lateral vari ations of the film thickness can be determined with monolayer precisio n by making use of the quantum size effect in STS or MS, and of the in elastic hot electron scattering within CoSi2 in BEEM.