The room-temperature oxidation of Cu/Si(100) and Cu/Si(111) interfaces studied by Auger electron spectroscopy, electron energy-loss spectroscopy, and high-resolution electron energy-loss spectroscopy

A study by integrated Auger electron spectroscopy, electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS), and high-resolution low-energy electron energy loss spectroscopy (HREELS) has been performed on the oxidation of copper silicides, which had been formed by electron beam vapor deposition of Cu onto Si(100) and Si(111) surfaces at 293 K. The splitting of the 92-eV (L2,3VV) silicon Auger intensity peak during increasing copper coverage and with oxidation at 295 K is analyzed in detail. The oxidation process is furthermore investigated by EELS and HREELS through an analysis of the changes in the fine-structure electron energy-loss spectra. An enhanced oxidation due to a catalytic interaction of Cu upon the surface electronic structure is found apparently to be due to an increased production of surface SiO species at the initial stages. No Cu–O bond was detected.