Crystallography and interfaces of epitaxial fluorite metals and insulators on semiconductors.

Crystals with the cubic fluorite structure and small lattice mismatches can be grown epitaxially on cubic semiconductors. In this manner thin-film single-crystal metals (NiSi2 and CoSi2) and insulators (e.g. CaF2, BaF2) have been grown on silicon, germanium and indium phosphide. With close attention to deposition and growth parameters, afforded either by atomically clean conditions or transient thermal processing, great control can be exerted over the crystallography and interfaces of these systems.