A pulsed synthesis of β-FeSi2 layers on silicon implanted with Fe+ ions

Continuous layers and fine-grained films of β-FeSi2 were synthesized using the implantation of Fe+ ions into Si (1 0 0) with subsequent pulsed nanosecond ion-beam treatment of the implanted layers. The X-ray diffraction studies showed that the pulsed ion-beam treatment brings about the formation of a mixture of two phases: FeSi and β-FeSi2 with strained crystal lattices. Subsequent rapid thermal annealing led to the complete transformation of the FeSi phase into the β-FeSi2 phase with the formation of a textured layer. The data obtained using Raman spectroscopy corroborate the formation of the β-FeSi2 phase with a high degree of silicon crystallinity.The results of measuring the optical absorption point to the formation of β-FeSi2 layers and precipitates with a direct-gap structure, an optical gap of View the MathML source. The photoluminescence band peaked at View the MathML source and caused by direct band-to-band transitions in β-FeSi2 was observed at temperatures lower than View the MathML source.