INTERFACE FORMATION DURING SILICON DEPOSITION ON NOBLE-METAL SUBSTRATES - A COMPARATIVE AES STUDY

The room-temperature growth of evaporated silicon on copper, silver an d gold surfaces has been studied by Auger electron spectroscopy. All i nterfaces, including Si-Ag, are found to be reactive. The formation of the silicide-like bonds takes place from the very first stages of the Si deposition and only in an interface layer a few angstroms thick. H igher coverage results in the growth of a pure continuous Si film. For Si-Au system our data indicate the silicon diffuses into the gold.