The Epitaxial Growth of Copper on the (111) Surface of Silicon

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Abstract
The progression of the epitaxy of Cu(111) on Si(111) has been studied using surface sensitive techniques and the as-grown film studied using high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). A molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) system has been used to deposit films on 3-inch-diameter silicon substrates. Across this large area a graded thickness of 0 to 10 nm of copper was deposited and scanned using Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) and low energy electron diffraction (LEED). For films grown at 373 K, silicon alloys with the copper up to a thickness of 5.0 rim. LEED indicates an ordered R30°-√3×√3 Cu(111) surface which results from the alloying of copper and silicon. HRTEM images from the interface region show the alloy to be 2.3 nm thick, crystalline, and epitaxial to the Si(111) surface. There are indications that the interface alloy may be a metastable copper silicide. This alloy is important in the mechanism for the growth of Cu(111) on Si(111).