Structural characteristics of Y2O3 films grown on oxidized Si(111) surface

We investigated the characteristics of Y2O3 films grown on an oxidized Si(111) surface, using x-ray diffraction, Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. The films grown on the oxidized Si show drastically improved crystallinity, compared with the film grown on clean Si surfaces: channeling minimum yield (X-min) of 2.5% and full width at half maximum of rocking curve lower than 0.03 degrees. The improvement of the crystallinity was due to the difference of the crystalline structure at the interface between the films grown on the oxidized and clean Si. surfaces. Crystalline orientation of Y2O3 islands at the interfacial region was misaligned from the normal substrate direction. The misalignment decreased with increasing the substrate temperature. In particular, the ordering of the oxygen atom in the him grown on oxidized Si was improved compared to that of the Y atom, indicating that the crystallinity of the film is dominantly determined by the arrangement of the oxygen atom in the unit cell. These characteristics of crystalline structure are influenced by the interfacial interactions among SiO2, Y, and Si. The interfacial SiO2 layer can be removed at high growth temperature above 800 degreesC using the reaction process; the high crystalline Y2O3 film without any interlayer oxide can be obtained. (C) 2001 American Institute of Physics.