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Interfacial Reactions of Ag Thin Films On (001) GaAs
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 25 February 2011
Abstract
Ag thin films of 90 nm in thickness were deposited on (001) GaAs substrates, with or without an amorphous Ta-Si-N cap layer on top. All samples were annealed at 550°C for 30 min in an Ar flow. The interaction between the Ag film and the GaAs substrate is characterized by MeV 4He backscattering spectrometry, scanning electron microscopy and cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy.
Without encapsulants, As is lost by sublimation and Ga-oxide forms on the Ag surface during the annealing process. Elongated prismatic triangular pits bounded by GaAs {111} planes develop in the substrate that are filled with Ag. Also, the native oxide between the GaAs substrate and the polycrystalline Ag layer balls up after annealing. No Ag-Ga or Ag-As compound is produced. With a Ta-Si-N cap layer, the pits are almost totally absent, but the interfacial native oxide layer still balls up.a
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- Copyright © Materials Research Society 1991
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