Abstract
The effects of thermal treatment in ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) of gold films galvanically displaced on the Si(111) surface are studied with low-energy electron diffraction, Auger electron spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, Kelvin probe force microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Annealing the galvanically displaced gold on Si substrates to 1100 K produces films with similar structure, composition, and morphology to annealed gold films evaporated on Si in UHV. The surface morphology is consistent with the Stranski−Krastanov growth mode. Compared to the unannealed film, an interfacial gold silicide layer forms upon annealing, although with limited improvement in adhesion. We report the formation of submicrometer Au/Si islands with narrow size dispersion, separated by deep trenches and with local order and shape dictated by the symmetry of the substrate. A mechanism for the formation of these islands is proposed.
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