N. Frangis et al., GROWTH OF ERBIUM-SILICIDE FILMS ON (100)SILICON AS CHARACTERIZED BY ELECTRON-MICROSCOPY AND DIFFRACTION, Journal of crystal growth, 172(1-2), 1997, pp. 175-182
Erbium-silicide thin films were grown on Si(100) substrates under high
vacuum either by single deposition of Er or by co-deposition of Er an
d Si, followed by annealing at 800-870 degrees C for 30 min. The cryst
alline quality of the films as well as the growth characteristics were
analysed by electron microscopy and diffraction techniques. The films
have a thickness between 35 and 50 nm and consist of patches up to a
few hundreds of nm. In the single Er deposited samples the epitaxial g
rowth of a tetragonal phase with a single epitaxial mode was found. Th
is phase is considered to be induced by the substrate orientation. In
the co-deposition samples the same epitaxy occurs in combination with
''multiple variant epitaxy'' of patches with the hexagonal ErSi2 struc
ture. The epitaxial relationships are analysed in detail.