Reactive Deposition Epitaxial Growth of β-FeSi₂ Film on Si(001): in situ Observation by Reflective High Energy Electron Diffraction

Reactive deposition epitaxial growth of β-FeSi₂ film on Si(001) has been studied by in situ observation of reflective high energy electron diffraction. Metastable strained phase was observed at initial stages. Surface roughness due to the islanding was observed during the deposition. The existed great tendency to transform the alignment of the orientation of crystallites into random as the thickness of deposited iron increased.