Initial stages of Fe chemical vapor deposition onto Si(100)

Journal Article · Mon Jun 19 00:00:00 EDT 1995 · Physical Review Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.74.5088· OSTI ID:69588

Adams, D P; Tedder, L L; Mayer, T M; Swartzentruber, B S; Chason, E ^[1]

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1. Sandia National Laboratories, P.O. Box 5800, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87185 (United States)

We study the evolution of layer morphology during the early stages of Fe chemical vapor deposition (CVD) onto Si(100) via pyrolysis of Fe(CO){sub 5} below 25 {degree}C. Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) shows that nuclei formation is limited by precursor dissociation which occurs on terraces, not at step sites. Also, the average size of clusters formed during CVD is larger than for Fe growth by evaporation (a random deposition process). Based on STM data and Monte Carlo simulations, we conclude that the CVD-growth morphology is affected by preferential dissociation of Fe(CO){sub 5} molecules at existing Fe clusters---an autocatalytic effect.

• Research Organization: Sandia National Laboratory
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-94AL85000
• OSTI ID: 69588
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters, Journal Name: Physical Review Letters Journal Issue: 25 Vol. 74; ISSN 0031-9007; ISSN PRLTAO
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMICAL VAPOR DEPOSITION
DISSOCIATION
ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
IRON
MONTE CARLO METHOD
MORPHOLOGY
PYROLYSIS
SILICON