Semiconducting Transition Metal Silicides: New Materials for Optoelectronics on Silicon

摘要

Semiconducting transition metal silicide thin films of FeSi2, MnSi1.7, CrSi2, ReSi2, and IrSi1.75, were prepared. The electronic band structures were probed with measurements of the optical properties as a function of photon energy, together with measurements of the electrical resistivity as a function of temperature. The iron and manganese silicides possess direct forbidden energy gaps of 0.89 and 0.68 eV, respectively. The chromium and rhenium silicides exhibited apparently indirect gaps of slightly less than 0.35 and 0.12 eV, respectively. The bandgap of IrSi1.75 is close to that of silicon and could not be determined with the techniques available to use in this research. Applications for the semiconducting silicides, in optoelectronic chip interconnects and infrared detection, are noted. Reprints. (jes)