GROWTH OF THE ROOM-TEMPERATURE AU SI(111)-(7 X 7) INTERFACE/

Synchrotron radiation photoemission spectroscopy suggests that the roo m temperature grown Au/Si(111) interface is an abrupt interface with t he contact made by metallic Au and bulk Si. Si 2p core level spectra s how no sign of an interface component, but only the surface reacted an d bulk Si components during the growth of the interface. A surface Au- Si alloy film is first formed for Au coverages below 3 monolayers. The alloy is then stabilized into an Au3Si-like film and detached from th e Si substrate when metallic Au starts nucleation in between.