Characterization of surface electrochemical reactions used in electrochemical atomic layer epitaxy and digital etching

Surface analytical techniques have been used to characterize electrochemical reactions to be used in semiconductor processing technologies. Studies have been performed using UHV-EC methodology to determine conditions for the surface limited dissolution of CdTe(100). Electrochemical conditions were identified which resulted in the reduction of the top layer of tellurium atoms, leaving behind a cadmium enriched surface. Attempts to find an electrochemical potential for the oxidative dissolution of the cadmium surface were complicated by the simultaneous oxidation of the compound CdTe.; In situ scanning tunneling microscopy has also been used to characterize the formation of tellurium atomic layers formed on Au(111) and Au(100) by underpotential deposition. On Au(100), the following sequence of surface structures was observed prior to bulk electrodeposition: a p(2x2), a (2x✓10), a (2x4), and a (✓2x✓5). The transitions between these structures was observed by STM and mechanisms for the phase transitions are presented. The results are correlated to UHV-EC studies of tellurium UPD on Au(100).; On Au(111), the following sequence of structures was observed¸: a (✓3 x✓3), a (✓7x✓13), and a (3x3). The (✓3x✓3) was shown to exist with a network of domain walls, forming long range triangular and diamond shaped superstructures. Conversion of the (✓3x✓3) to higher coverage structure resulted in roughening of the underlying Au surface and a mechanism is hypothesized to explain this transition. The STM results are also correlated to low energy electron diffraction (LEED) results obtained by UHV-EC studies.; The surface structures formed by reductive UPD of the chalcogenide elements and Se on both Au(100) and Au(111) are compared. Both elements initially resulted in structures consisting of isolated atoms separated by distances close to the reported van der Waals diameter. Higher coverage structures resulted in interatomic chalcogenide bonding and the structures formed on the surface were analogous to bulk allotropes of each element. Differences in the observed structures for Se and Te can be explained by either the smaller atomic size of Se or different allotropy for each element.