MODIFICATION OF THE MICROSTRUCTURE IN EPITAXIAL ERBIUM SILICIDE

Several growth techniques in the formation of thin (< 100 angstrom) epitaxial rare-earth silicide films have been investigated. Low temperature processing of a thin (3-4 angstrom) template layer results in distinct changes of the low energy electron diffraction patterns, with a 1 X 1 pattern occurring below 400-degrees-C and a square-root 3 X square-root 3 pattern occurring for higher temperature anneals. We present corresponding real and reciprocal space data showing that an appropriate template will produce structurally continuous films with no evidence of a vacancy superstructure that can occur in films prepared under less well-controlled conditions.