Epitaxial Growth of CaF2/Si/CaF2 on Si(111)

Abstract
High quality CaF2/Si/CaF2/Si(111) structures have been grown epitaxially by molecular beam epitaxy and characterized by X-ray diffraction analysis, Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. High crystalline quality CaF2 layers are achieved when the thickness of the middle Si layer is small. The films degrade if the thickness of the Si layer exceeds 10 nm. The epitaxial orientations of the two CaF2 layers can be identical or azimuthally rotated 180 degrees with respect to each other, depending on how the middle Si film is deposited.