AES and EELS study of desorption of magnesium silicide films on Si(111)

During AES and EELS investigations of thermal stability of Mg and Mg2Si films it was found that metallic Mg desorbs from the surface at temperatures higher than 80 °C, but the bulk-like Mg2Si film shows a thermal stability up to 180 °C. The maximal thermal stability up to 230 °C was observed for a two-dimensional magnesium silicide with structure (2/3√3×2/3√3)-R30°. A model of its thermal stability based on the peculiarities of the electronic structure of a two-dimensional magnesium silicide with structure (2/3√3×2/3√3)-R30° and on the continuity of 2D film was proposed.