Effects of the different heat treatments on the growth and formation of iron silicide on Si(100)

Abstract

We have investigated the formation and growth of iron silicides by the solid phase epitaxy (SPE) and reactive deposition epitaxy (RDE) + post-annealing. Semiconducting β-FeSi 2 was grown on a Si(100) substrate using an electron beam deposition system. In the case of the SPE, although an epitaxial β-FeSi 2 was grown to about 200 Å, the mixed layer of β-FeSi 2 and other phases existed on the epitaxial layer. On the other hands, in the case of the RDE + post-annealing, the thick β-FeSi 2 film was grown with the thickness of about 3100 Å by post-annealing at 700°C after deposition at 200°C. In the β-FeSi 2 film, the epitaxial β-FeSi 2 grain was grown with a size of about 2500 Å and the epitaxial tendency was B-type. From these results, it seems that the RDE + post-annealing method is more preferable than the SPE for the growth of a thick epitaxial β-FeSi 2 film.