Ultraviolet-assisted Pulsed Laser Deposition of Barium Strontium Titanate on Si: characterization of the Interfacial Layer

Barium strontium titanate (BST) thin films were grown directly on Si substrates by the conventional and ultraviolet-assisted pulsed laser deposition techniques. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction and reflectivity, variable angle spectroscopic ellipsometry, current-voltage, capacitance-voltage, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy were used to investigate the composition, thickness, and electrical properties of the grown structures. It has been found that at the interface between the Si substrate and the grown dielectric layer, an interfacial layer was always formed. The chemical composition of the layer consisted of SiOx partially mixed with the grown BST, without any evidence of silicate formation.