Effect of template layer on formation of flat-surface β-FeSi2 epitaxial films on (1 1 1) Si by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition

Epitaxial (1 0 1)- and/or (1 1 0)-β-FeSi2 films with a continuous, flat surface were successfully grown on (1 1 1) Si substrates by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) using a template layer. Homogeneous grain growth is a key factor in the growth of flat-surface films and was achieved by using a β-FeSi2 template layer with a high initial nuclear density. Films grown on 50-nm-thick templates maintained a strong (1 0 1)- and/or (1 1 0)-orientation after MOCVD overgrowth and had a rocking curve full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) of 0.59°. The average roughness was 16 nm for 250-nm-thick film grown on a 50-nm-thick template.