Interaction of Pb and Sn with Thin Films of Their Oxides on Single-Crystal Silicon

Abstract

Experimental data are presented on the interactions between Pb and thin SnO and SnO2 films and between Sn and thin PbO films during vacuum annealing and subsequent heat treatment in flowing oxygen. The Pb and Sn films were deposited by magnetron sputtering onto single-crystal Si substrates; the SnO and SnO2 films were produced by heat-treating Sn in flowing oxygen at 470 and 870 K, respectively; and the PbO films were obtained by heat-treating Pb films at 520 K. During annealing of Pb/SnO2 /Si heterostructures at 870 K in a vacuum of 0.33 × 10–2 Pa, Pb reacts with lead oxides to form PbSnO3 , whereas vacuum annealing of Sn/PbO/Si heterostructures leads to the formation of SnO and Pb metal. The lead stannates forming in vacuum persist during subsequent heat treatment in flowing oxygen at atmospheric pressure at temperatures of up to 1120 K.