Electronic structure of Cr silicides and Si-Cr interface reactions

We present synchrotron radiation photoemission studies of bulk CrSi₂ and silicide phases grown on Si by thermal processing of the Si-Cr interface. Experiment shows that Si-Cr interface formation at room temperature results in reacted phases that differ from both bulk CrSi₂ and in situ---grown Si-rich CrSi₂. Extended---H\"uckel-theory linear combination of atomic orbitals calculations of the density of states of Cr₃Si, CrSi, and CrSi₂ show that Si---Cr bond formation involves Si p and Cr d states with minimal charge transfer.