The determination of the average compositions of amorphous interlayers in the VSi system using a buried ultrathin oxide layer and a capping Mo layer to define the reference planes for interdiffusion

A scheme using an ultrathin (< 1 nm) oxide layer and a capping Mo layer to define the reference planes for interdiffusion has been utilized to determine the average compositions of the amorphous interlayer in ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) deposited Vc-Si samples. The buried oxide layer is present at the epitaxial Sic-Si interface in UHV deposited samples. A thin Mo layer was deposited on the V layer to serve as an inert cap and define the upper surface of the metal layer. The ratios of participating Si and V atoms in the reactions were measured to be 5 : 6 and 5 : 9 in samples annealed at 465°C for 10 and 30 min, respectively. A straightforward extension of the technique can be applied to determine the average compositions of amorphous interlayers in other systems as long as the buried oxide layer and inert cap are stable and have a limited variation in distance between them.