VAPOR PHASE EPITAXY OF MAGNESIUM OXIDE ON SILICON USING METHYLMAGNESIUM ALKOXIDES

摘要

Vapor phase epitaxy of magnesium oxide (MgO) has been accomplished on both Si(00l) and Si(111) substrates using the precursors methylmagnesium tert-butoxide and methylmagnesium isopropoxide. The deposition was carried out, mainly with methylmagnesium tert-butoxide, in the temperature range 400-850°C under high vacuum conditions. Thin films of MgO tend to grow preferentially in the [111] direction by the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of these metal organic compounds, and therefore the MgO growth in that direction was achieved on Si(l 1 1) without great difficulties. On Si(00l), however, many attempts to grow the films in the [001] direction have failed. It was possible to grow epitaxial MgO films on Si(00l) only when cubic silicon carbide (3C-SiC) buffer layers were deposited prior to the deposition of MgO. The films were characterized by in situ reflection high energy electron diffraction (RHEED), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and x-ray diffraction (XRD).