EPITAXIAL SILICON GROWN ON CEO2 SI(111) STRUCTURE BY MOLECULAR-BEAM EPITAXY/

Using electron beam evaporation, a Si/CeO2/Si(lll) structure has been grown in a molecular beam epitaxy machine. In situ low energy electron diffraction, cross sectional transmission electron microscopy, select ed area diffraction, and atomic force microscopy have been used to str ucturally characterize the overlying silicon layer and show it to be s ingle crystalline and epitaxially oriented. Rutherford backscattering and energy dispersive x-ray analysis have been used to confirm the pre sence of a continuous 23 Angstrom CeO2 layer at the interface. Rutherf ord backscattering and x-ray photoemission spectroscopy show an additi onal presence of cerium both at the exposed silicon surface and incorp orated in low levels (similar to 1%) within the silicon film, suggesti ng a growth mechanism with cerium riding atop the silicon growth front leaving behind small amounts of cerium incorporated in the growing si licon crystal. (C) 1998 American Vacuum Society.