Cerium silicide formation in thin Ce–Si multilayer films

Abstract

Alternating layers of Si(200 Å thick) and Ce(200 Å thick) up to 26 layers altogether were deposited by electron evaporation under ultrahigh vacuum conditions on Si(100) substrate held at 150 °C. Isothermal, rapid thermal annealing has been used to react these Ce–Si multilayer films. A variety of analytical techniques has been used to study these multilayer films after annealing, and among these are Auger electron spectroscopy, Rutherford backscattering, X-ray diffraction, and high resolution transmission electron microscopy. Intermixing of these thin Ce–Si multilayer films has occurred at temperatures as low as 150 °C for 2 h, when annealed. Increasing the annealing temperature from 150 to 400 °C for 1 h, CeSi2 forms gradually and the completion of reaction occurs at ∼300–400 °C. During the formation of CeSi2 from 150–400 °C, there is some evidence for small grains in the selected area diffraction patterns, indicating that CeSi2 crystallites were present in some regions. However, we have no conclusive evidence for the formation of epitaxial CeSi2 layers, only polycrystals were formed when reacted in the solid phase even after rapid thermal anneal at 900 °C for 10 s. The formation mechanism has also been discussed in combining the results of the La–Si system.