Nucleation of Co silicide on H passivated Si(111)

Abstract
We have investigated the effect of H passivation on the deposition of Co on Si(111). The H terminated surface has fewer nucleation sites for silicide formation than either the bare (7×7) surface or the boron (√3×√3)R30°. This leads to a growth mode dominated by the formation of sparse nonepitaxial islands, which grow laterally to merge. The H passivated (1×1) surface does not contain Si adatoms, unlike the (7×7) and boron (√3×√3)R30° surfaces, which must be the nucleation site for cobalt silicide formation on Si(111).