Photoemission studies of the hydrogenated silicon-gold interface

Abstract
The formation of the gold-silicon interface on c-Si(100) and hydrogen-passivated c-Si(100) has been studied by synchrotron radiation photoemission spectroscopy. The results show that the presence of Si-H on the surface (a) quenches the surface dangling bond states and (b) reduces the Au-Si interaction at the initial stages of interface formation. On clean c-Si(100), Au atoms interact with the surface silicon dangling bonds at submonolayer coverages. Rapid diffusion of Au into silicon is observed on both surfaces. A nonabrupt SixAu1−x -Si interface is formed for gold on either hydrogenated or pure c-Si(100).