Sputter etching effect of the substrate on the microstructure of β-FeSi2 thin film prepared by ion beam sputter deposition method

✍ Scribed by M. Sasase; K. Shimura; K. Yamaguchi; H. Yamamoto; S. Shamoto; K. Hojou

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 2007
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 643 KB
• Volume: 257
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0168-583X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.nimb.2007.01.041

✦ Synopsis

Beta iron disilicide (b-FeSi 2 ) is one of the candidate materials for a compound semiconductor, which is promising for optoelectronic devices. b-FeSi 2 film has been obtained by ion beam sputter deposition (IBSD) on Si(1 0 0) substrates that are pre-treated by sputter etching by Ne + . In the present study, the sputter etching effect on the substrate was investigated through the cross-sectional observation of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) in order to find the conditions for fabricating uniform b-FeSi 2 films which have high orientation and form a smooth interface with the substrate. Nanostructural changes of the deposited film and the interface were observed as a function of sputter Ne + energy and fluence. It was found from the observed crystal structure of the films and interface that the effect of the surface pre-treatment significantly changes with the ion energy and fluence. By 1 keV irradiation at the fluence of 3 • 10 16 ions/cm 2 , b-FeSi 2 film was epitaxially grown on Si(1 0 0) substrate with an atomically smooth interface.