Dopants on Si(100) surfaces: useful probes of silicon atomic layer epitaxy?

Abstract

Submonolayer coverages of N, B, Ge and Sn were studied on Si(100) surfaces using time-of-flight scattering and recoiling spectroscopy. Thin Si layers were grown on top of the dopants, and these layers are designated Si ∗. The thermal stability of Si ∗/N/Si(100), Si ∗/B/Si(100), Si ∗/Sn/Si(100) and Si ∗/Ge/Si(100) structures is compared here. Attenuation of the elemental dopant signals by Si ∗ is used to study Si atomic layer epitaxy. The dopant is called an elemental “marker” in this context. Plots of direct recoiling intensity vs. incident angle are used to distinguish surface marker layers from marker layers buried under Si ∗.