Deposition of (100) Au, Ag, Pd, Pt, and Fe on (100) Si using different metal seed layers

Abstract

Deposition near room temperatures by evaporation of several face-centered cubic (fee) metals, and the body-centered cubic iron, all 1000 A thick, in the (100) orientation is described. Using the (100) Cu film epitaxially grown on (100) Si as the seed layer, (100) Pd is obtained. The Pd layer is then used as a seed to provide an improved lattice match for the (100) growth of Au, Ag, Pt, and Fe. The (100) growth of Fe is also found using seed layers of Au, Ag, and Pt. Direct deposition of these layers on Cu, except for Pd, fails to give the (100) oriented metals due to the large lattice mismatch present. For the (100) Fe on (100) fee metals, a 45° rotation between the two lattices around the (001) axis is suggested and confirmed, which allows an exact line-up of the bonds with the needed lattice match. Two major factors are suggested to be involved in the growth: an initial heteroepitaxy at the interface, followed by a subsequent self-epitaxy of the metals grown. © 1991, American Vacuum Society. All rights reserved.