CHARACTERIZATION OF CO-SPUTTERED SI MGO FILMS - A COMPARISON WITH SI/SIO2 AND SI/AL2O3 FILMS/

Si/MgO, Si/Al2O3 and Si/SiO2 co-sputtered films were prepared by placi ng 12 Si plates (5 mm x 15 mm) on an MgO, Al2O3 or SiO2 target 100 mm in diameter during deposition. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic (XPS) analysis revealed that the main low valency Si state was Si for Si/Mg O and Si/Al2O3; and SiOx (0<x<2) for Si/SiO2. The Si/SiO2 films mainta ined a homogeneous Si component profile and an amorphous structure eve n after annealing at 820 degrees C. For the Si/MgO films, an inward di ffusion of Si, crystallization of MgO and nanoparticle segregation wer e observed by annealing at low temperature. The Si/MgO and Si/Al2O3 fi lms; had a weaker photoluminescence (PL) intensity at about 1.7 eV tha n the Si/SiO2 co-sputtered film by excitation at 514.5 nm, which may b e due to the low content of SiOx. (C) 1998 Acta Metallurgica Inc.