Electron loss spectroscopy study of the growth by laser ablation of ultra-thin diamond-like films on Si(100)

Carbon films with thicknesses up to 10 monolayers (ML) have been grown on Si(100) substrates by means of laser ablation of graphite under ultra-high vacuum (UHV) conditions. The early stages of the growth have been characterized by Auger-electron (AES), electron-energy-loss (EELS) and ion-scattering (ISS) spectroscopies. EELS and AES can be used to qualitatively distinguish between the graphitic or diamond-like character of the films. The effect of submonolayer coverages on the surface electronic density of the silicon substrate has also been investigated. Carbon does not diffuse into silicon for room temperature depositions. Annealing at 950 °C causes graphitization and the formation of silicon carbide together with an intermixing of C and Si.