GROWTH OF EPITAXIAL BETA-FESI2 THIN-FILMS BY PULSED-LASER DEPOSITION ON SILICON(111)

Epitaxial films of semiconducting iron disilicide (beta -FeSi2) have b een grown by pulsed laser deposition. We find that pulsed laser deposi tion creates conditions favorable to the formation of films with the s mallest geometric misfit possessed by this material system. In situ re flection high energy electron diffraction results indicate a layer by layer growth of the silicide. Analysis of transmission electron diffra ction data has determined that the films are single phase and that thi s growth method reproduces the epitaxial relationship: beta-FeSi2 (001 ) parallel to Si(111).