Structural reactions of Si{111} with cobalt and formation of cobalt disilicide

Abstract

Low-energy electron diffraction (LEED) and Auger electron spectroscopy were used to study the reactions of a clean Si{111} surface with Co. Although above surface coverages of about two monolayers the LEED patterns were always 1×1, measurements of the diffracted intensities revealed that there are three 1×1 phases. With increasing initial Co coverage they are called pre-silicide, CoSi2, and post-silicide phases, respectively. The structures of the pre-silicide and of the CoSi2 phase are very similar to one another. The structure of the CoSi2{111} surface was determined by LEED intensity analysis to be relaxed bulklike, with first interlayer spacing contracted 20% and second interlayer spacing contracted 5%. The structures of the pre- and the post-silicide phases are unknown. © 1986 The American Physical Society.