Surface morphology and wettability for thin films of beta-iron disilicide produced through direct-current sputtering utilizing a pair of facing targets

Abstract

Abstract. In the current work, beta-FeSi 2 films were epitaxially produced onto Si(111) wafer substrates via usage of facing-targets direct-current sputtering (FTDCS). The temperature for substrate heating was maintained at 600 °C and the sputtering pressure was set at 1.33 × 10 1 Pa. The surface morphology and contact angles of the beta-FeSi 2 films were explored consistently in this research. Images of threedimensional AFM and FESEM for the beta-FeSi 2 film surface revealed a smooth surface with a root mean square roughness of 1.31 nm and a porous area. The average contact angle between the dropped water and beta-FeSi 2 film surface was found to be 98.7°, establishing that the surface of the beta-FeSi 2 films was hydrophobic. The acquired experimental results revealed the commencement of the hydrophobic surface feature of the beta-FeSi 2 films produced via FTDCS approach.

Optical characterization of nanostructured β − FeSi2 layers obtained by Fe+ implantation

“…Terai et al [6] and Wang et al [7] argue that since β − FeSi 2 shows a photoluminescence around 1.54 µm it can be used for optoelectronic and photovoltaic applications. Rajesh et al [8] expound on the fact that for the direct band gap and for the large optical absorption coefficient, β − FeSi 2 has great potential for applications like telecommunication devices based on silicon, photo sensors, solar cells and thermoelectric generators (see also [9]).…”