XPS study of the reaction of the Si(100) surface with a C2H4 beam

The carbide layers produced by reaction of a Si(100) surface with a C2H4 beam were analyzed by high resolution X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). It was found that the reaction occurs above ∼ 600°C. The growth rate of the carbide layer at a beam flux of 2.7 × 1015 molecules cm−2 s−1 increased with the surface temperature up to 675°C, and then decreased with increasing the temperature. This phenomenon is explained in terms of the surface residence time of the incident molecules and the diffusion rate of the Si atoms from the substrate to the surface.