Abstract
Room temperature oxidation of (001)Si catalyzed by Cu 3 Si has been investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and x-ray diffractometry (XRD). For η]-Cu 3 Si thin layer on (001)Si, XRD analysis showed that volume fractions η]-Cu 3 Si and Cu decrease and increase with the exposure time in air, respectively. TEM revealed the presence of a high density of Cu precipitates in the SiO 2 layer. After prolonged exposure in air, the Cu precipitates were observed to form an irregular network. The thickness of starting Cu, hence Cu 3 Si, layer on silicon was found to be a critical factor in determining the oxidation behavior. Based on the microstructural evolution data, a partial reconstitution of catalytic Cu 3 Si mechanism is proposed to be the dominant process for the room-temperature oxidation of silicon catalyzed by Cu 3 Si.