The interaction of cobalt with oxidized silicon surface

The initial stages of the growth of cobalt disilicide (CoSi2) on a 2×1 reconstructed Si(100) surface in the presence of oxygen have been studied for the first time by method of high-resolution photoelectron spectroscopy. The evolution of the electron structure of the sample surface was traced in the course of silicon oxidation, cobalt deposition, and subsequent thermal annealing. It is established that cobalt atoms penetrate to the oxide-silicon interface even at room temperature. This phenomenon favors the formation of an epitaxial CoSi2 layer with improved morphology.