Abstract
C40-type, hexagonal VSi <sub>2</sub> , MoSi <sub>2</sub> and WSi <sub>2</sub> have been grown epitaxially on (111)Si. V, Mo or W thin films, 250-300 Å in thickness, were electron gun deposited on (111)Si. Epitaxial growth of metal disilicides were induced by thermal annealing in vacuum. For VSi <sub>2</sub> on (111)Si, epitaxial regions, 1-2 μm in size, were found to grow in samples 400-1000°C two-step annealed. MoSi <sub>2</sub> grains, 0.2-2 μm in size, were observed to grow epitaxially on (111)Si following 1100°C annealing. WSi <sub>2</sub> epitaxy, 0.4-1.2 μm in size, on (111)Si was obtained in samples annealed at 1050-1100°C. The orientation relationships between these metal silicides MSi <sub>2</sub> and substrate Si were determined to be (0001)MSi <sub>2</sub> //(111)Si, (2240)MSi <sub>2</sub> //(224)Si and (2020)MSi <sub>2</sub> //(202)Si. Regular interfacial dislocation networks were observed at silicides/Si interfaces. The dislocations were identified to be of edge type with 1 6<112> Burgers vectors. The average spacings of dislocations are 250, 100 and 40 Å for VSi <sub>2</sub> /Si, MoSi <sub>2</sub> /Si and WSi <sub>2</sub> /Si systems, respectively. The disparities in dislocation spacings are attributed to the differences in lattice mismatches and thermal expansion coefficients among these silicide/Si systems. The discovery of a number of new epitaxial silicides presents the exciting possibilities that novel devices with desirable characteristics may be realized. © 1985.