We have used Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE) to successfully grow films that are predominantly IrSi3 on both Si(111) and Si(100) substrates by codeposition of Si and Ir in a 3:1 ratio. Bragg-Brentano and Seemann-Bohlin x-ray diffraction reveal that polycrystalline IrSi3 films form as low as 450 °C. This is the lowest temperature yet reported for growth of this iridium silicide phase. These x-ray diffraction techniques, along with Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) diffraction and in situ Low Energy Electron Diffraction (LEED), show that at higher deposition temperatures codeposition can form IrSi3 films on Si(111) that consist predominantly of a single epitaxial growth orientation. Ion beam channeling and x-ray rocking curves show that the epitaxial quality of IrSi3 films deposited on Si(111) is superior to that of IrSi3 films deposited on Si(100). We also present evidence for several new epitaxial IrSi3 growth modes on Si(111) and Si(100).

High quality abrupt junction PtSi thin film prepared by the MBE system with in situ precleaning and annealing was obtained. Wet etching and low energy hydrogen plasma excitation to generate H-terminated Si surface and low temperature thermal desorption were used to clean the substrate. IRCCD thus fabricated achieved the quantum efficiency 0.8%. TEM, STM/AFM, AES/ESCA, and RBS were used to monitor the fabrication processes.

Iridium silicides formation by rapid thermal annealing (RTA) under vacuum at several temperatures in the range of 350 to 650°C has been investigated. The substrates and the silicide films were analyzed by Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS) and Auger electron spectroscopy (AES). At 350°C, no distinguishable phase was detected for 240 seconds of annealing time. At 400°C, for processing time up to 45 seconds only Ir1Si1 was formed, for longer processing time Ir1Si1.75 was formed too. At higher temperatures even for very short processing time, Ir1Si1.75 was formed. Ir, Ir1Si1 and Ir1Si1.75 were present simultaneously if the iridium film was thick enough and the processing time was long enough too. For thin iridium layers, the Ir1Si1 formed was totally converted to Ir1Si1.75, if the annealing time was long enough. Formation rates were observed to be three to five orders of magnitude faster than the reported for furnace annealing.

Heteroepitaxial Ir-silicide/SiGe layers on the top of p-Si(100) have been achieved at a substrate temperature of 450 °C. The co-deposited Ir-silicide layer was determined to be Ir3Si4 with four types of epitaxial modes. Thermal stability of the film was examined by using Auger electron spectroscopy and X-ray diffractometer. The Ir3Si4/SiGe layers were stable as annealed at 550 °C for 20 sec in a rapid thermal annealing furnace, while interdiffusion between Ir3Si4 and SiGe occurs at a temperature of 750 deg;C or higher for 20 sec. The traditional guard-ring fabrication process should be performed before epitaxial films deposition due to this thermal instability.

Iridium silicide formation by rapid thermal annealing (RTA) in an Ar atmosphere or under vacuum has been investigated. The evolution of the silicide front and the identification of the phases were monitored by Auger Electron Spectroscopy (AES) and Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry (RBS). Oxygen was incorporated during the RTA process in an Ar atmosphere. The oxygen effect is to slow down the silicide formation and eventually to stop it. In all the cases, the oxygen piled-up at the iridium-iridium silicide interface. No distinguishable phase was formed by RTA in an Ar atmosphere. No oxygen contarsi'nation was detected when the RTA was performed under a vacuum lower than 2×10−5 Torr. In this case Ir1Si1 and Ir1Si1.75 phases were formed.

We present the new class of the far infrared photodetectors based on the lead-tin tellurides doped with the group III impurities. The persistent photoconductivity effect appearing in these materials provides an internal signal integration resulting in a considerable increase in the signal-to-noise ratio. The techniques of the photomemory quenching are discussed. In some regime of quenching the effect of giant quantum efficiency stimulation has been observed. The possibility of generation of the photoinduced spatially nonequilibrium states provides the physical evidence for the construction of an integrating “continuous” focal-plane array based on Pb1−xSnxTe(In).

This paper considers the modelling of Liquid Phase Epitaxial (LPE) growth of silicon in a substrate-solution-substrate “sandwich” system. Unsteady two-dimensional numerical simulations which take into account fluid flow and mass transfer are presented for a growth experiment. Except in the initial stages, solutal convection is found to be dominant throughout the process. Convection is, however, mostly confined to the upper half of the growth cell, resulting in growth of a layer on the upper substrate, which is about twice as thick as that on the lower substrate. This result is in good agreement with available experiment data. Another interesting consequence of the convection patterns is the formation of a smooth flat surface on the lower substrate and a wavy irregular one on the upper substrate.