This is an innovative experimental program of research to study fundamental issues in the physics and chemistry of ultra-thin films (one or two atomic layers). This study will implement atom beam scattering as a new technique to investigate the structure and chemical bonding of the atomic layers to the substrate. Materials being studied include metal films on silicon and metals. Studies include geometry and chemical bonding in heteroepitaxy, strained epitaxial films, kinetics of film growth, and electronic characterization of films and interfaces. Low energy electron diffraction and helium ion beam scattering will be used to characterize the structure of the films and interfaces. The research is relevant to processing and properties of integrated electronic circuits. Issues such as doping, Schottky barriers, and metallization will benefit from the research.
