Pyramidal structural defects in erbium silicide thin films

Pyramidal structural defects in erbium silicide thin films

Pyramidal structural defects, 5–8 μm wide, have been discovered in thin films of epitaxial ErSi2−x formed by annealing thin Er films on Si(001) substrates at temperatures of 500–800 °C. The formation of these defects is not due to oxidation. We propose that they form as a result of the separat...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Srolovitz, David J., Tan, Eu Jin, Bouville, Mathieu, Chi, Dong Zhi, Pey, Kin Leong, Lee, Pooi See, Tung, Chih Hang
Other Authors: School of Materials Science & Engineering
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: 2012
Subjects:
DRNTU::Engineering::Materials
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10356/95015
http://hdl.handle.net/10220/8074
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Institution: Nanyang Technological University
Language: English
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Summary:Pyramidal structural defects, 5–8 μm wide, have been discovered in thin films of epitaxial ErSi2−x formed by annealing thin Er films on Si(001) substrates at temperatures of 500–800 °C. The formation of these defects is not due to oxidation. We propose that they form as a result of the separation of the silicide film from the substrate and its buckling in order to relieve the compressive, biaxial epitaxial stresses. Silicon can then diffuse through the silicide or along the interface to fully or partially fill the void between the buckled erbium disilicide film and the substrate.

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