Nucleation of Co silicide on H passivated Si(111)

We have investigated the effect of H passivation on the deposition of Co on Si(111). The H terminated surface has fewer nucleation sites for silicide formation than either the bare (7×7) surface or the boron (3×3)R30°. This leads to a growth mode dominated by the formation of sparse nonepitaxial islands, which grow laterally to merge. The H passivated (1×1) surface does not contain Si adatoms, unlike the (7×7) and boron (3×3)R30°surfaces, which must be the nucleation site for cobalt silicide formation on Si(111). © 1994 American Institute of Physics.