Self-organized 2D Ni particles deposited on titanium oxynitride-coated Si sculpted by a low energy ion beam

Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics Volume 47 Number 19, 2014.

M Morales¹, R B Merlo¹, R Droppa² and F Alvarez¹

¹ UNICAMP, Instituto de Física ‘Gleb Wataghin’ 13081-970 Campinas, SP, Brazil
² Universidade Federal do ABC, Centro de Ciências Naturais e Humanas, 09.210-170, Santo André, Brazil

 

Abstract

Self-ordered Ni nanoparticles grown on TiN_xO_y-coated crystalline silicon previously sculpted by ion beam bombardment are reported. The samples are obtained following a sequential in situ routine deposition procedure. First, crystalline Si is Xe⁺bombarded, generating regular patterns. Second, a thin TiN_xO_y film is grown on the patterned Si substrate. Immediately, nano-sized nickel particles are deposited by ion beam sputtering and temperature-annealed forming a 2D lattice. The self-organized Ni islands are induced by preferential Ni site nucleation on the coated sculpted Si grooves.

 

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Figure Legend

Topographic AFM general view of the 2D nickel particle lattice. The projection of the ion beam direction is indicated. The vectors a and b define the basis of the 2D lattice and the most important crystalline silicon orientations are indicated.