Interface Structure from Plan-View transmission Electron Microscopy of Heteroepitaxial Layers on Silicon

Heteroepitaxial layers grown by Molecular Beam Epitaxy on silicon offer well-controlled interfaces parallel to the surfaces of a thin foil. We show that pin-view transmission electron diffraction and imaging is a powerful complementary technique to the well-publicized high resolution imaging in cross-section for such interfaces. Specifically, we discuss the structural determination of a periodic 2 X 1 interface reconstruction at NiSi sub 2 /Si and CoSi sub 2 /Si (100) interfaces, and the examination of interface steps and roughness at Si/SiO sub 2 interfaces entirely by plan-view methods. Results are quantitatively analyzed and examine relatively large and therefore statistically significant area.