INTRINSIC STRESS AND GROWTH OF AG ON P-DOPED SI(001)(2X1) - INFLUENCE OF DOPANT CONCENTRATION

Nucleation and growth of Ag on Si(001)(2 x 1) has been studied at temperatures of (300 divided-by 550) K, using intrinsic stress measurement together with several structural methods. Microstructure, growth mode and related intrinsic stress are strongly influenced by the Si(001) dopant concentration. On low p-doped Si(001)(2 x 1) film growth proceeds by Volmer-Weber mode resulting in polycrystalline films at (300 divided-by 400) K and high-quality epitaxial Ag(001) films at (450 divided-by 550) K. On highly doped substrates, on the other hand, epitaxial Ag(111) films grow via Stranski-Krastanov mode at 300 K, indicating the crucial effect of surface dopants on the initial stages of Ag nucleation.