Temperature-dependent electron microscopy study of Au thin films on Si (1 0 0) with and without a native oxide layer as barrier at the interface

Abstract

Real-time electron microscopy observation on morphological changes in gold nanostructures deposited on Si (1 0 0) surfaces as a function of annealing temperatures has been reported. Two types of interfaces with silicon substrates were used prior to gold thin film deposition: (i) without native oxide and on ultra-clean reconstructed Si surfaces and (ii) with native oxide covered Si surfaces. For ≈2.0 nm thick Au films deposited on reconstructed Si (1 0 0) surfaces using the molecular beam epitaxy method under ultra-high vacuum conditions, aligned four-fold symmetric nanogold silicide structures formed at relatively lower temperatures (compared with the one with native oxide at the interface). For this system, 82% of the nanostructures were found to be nanorectangle-like structures with an average length of ≈27 nm and aspect ratio of 1.13 at ≈700 °C. For ≈5.0 nm thick Au films deposited on Si (1 0 0) surface with native oxide at the interface, the formation of a rectangular structure was observed at higher temperatures (≈850 °C). At these high temperatures, desorption of gold silicide followed the symmetry of the substrate. Native oxide at the interface was found to act like a barrier for the inter-diffusion phenomena. Structural characterization was carried out using advanced electron microscopy methods.