MORPHOLOGICAL AND STRUCTURAL STUDIES OF BETA-FESI2 FILMS GROWN BY ION-BEAM-ASSISTED DEPOSITION

In this work we present the application of ion beam assisted depositio n (IBAD) to the growth of beta-FeSi2. Iron disilicide films, about 120 nm thick, were obtained by the deposition of Fe onto (001)Si single c rystal maintained at T = 600-degrees-C. During evaporation a low energ y (120-650 eV) Ar+ ion beam bombarded the growing film. Scanning and t ransmission electron microscopies were used to characterize respective ly the morphology and structure of the deposited layer. A reduction in both the surface roughness and grain size was observed in the IBAD fi lms with respect to those grown by standard deposition techniques. Mor eover, a remarkable enhancement of the epitaxy was found for one of th e IBAD samples.