Synthesis of epitaxial Pt on (100)Si using TiN buffer layer by pulsed laser deposition

High-quality epitaxial Pt films were deposited by pulsed laser deposition on (100)Si using TiN as a buffer layer. The films were (100) oriented normal to the substrate surface with a high degree of in-plane orientation with respect to the major axes of the substrate and buffer layer. An ion beam minimum channeling yield of 39% was obtained for the Pt films, indicating high crystallinity. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy results showed that interfaces between substrate/film and film/film were quite smooth and no perceptible interdiffusion was observed. The epitaxial TiN layer effectively acts as a barrier to impede metal-substrate reaction and helps in good adhesion of the Pt films on (100)Si. This structure is suitable for epitaxial growth of oxide films on Si with an underlying conductive electrode.