Abstract
Detailed characterizations of rhodium/silicon films prepared by co-deposition using magnetron sputtering have been carried out on silicon substrates at room temperature up to 900 degrees C. The properties of the films were investigated using XPS/UPS, XRD, SIMS, SEM and AFM techniques. It should be emphasized that XPS/UPS measurements are carried out without breaking the vacuum to avoid any contamination of the film. Up to 500 degrees C an interdiffusion between the oxidized silicon wafer and the deposited Rh/Si film occurred leading to hole formation in the entire film at 900 degrees C. Diffraction patterns for the compounds Rh(2)Si, Rh(5)Si(3), RhSi and Rh(3)Si(4) were measured. Upon annealing the covalent character is increased and for the samples forming the compound RhSi the valence band structure is markedly changed. Depth profiling (XPS and SIMS) reveals a stable composition in the bulk of the film. For these measurements the silicon-rich alloy in the interfacial layer is probably an effect of sputtering, by implanting the Rh atoms into the silicon substrate. A previously reported negative shift for the compound Rh(5)Si(3) could be connected to the sample preparation, as sputtering of the surface is reducing the silicon content and inducing a glassy state. For the first phase Rh(2)Si formed on the rhodium-rich side the shift in binding energy is unclear, for all the other compounds encountered in this work a positive shift relative to pure rhodium was found.
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