ABSTRACT
The evolution of vacancy ordering in epitaxial YbSi2-x thin films on (111)Si has been studied by transmission electron microscopy. Epitaxial ytterbium silicide thin films with ordered vacancy structures were grown on (111)Si by ultrahigh vacuum deposition and subsequent thermal annealing. The vacancy ordering structures were transformed into out-of-step structures after higher temperature annealing. 3-dimensional vacancy ordering structures were determined to be ( a 3 a 3 c https://s3-euw1-ap-pe-df-pch-content-public-p.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/9781351074629/5a352613-3b83-41b5-928b-6eb51bce89f4/content/ieq0090.tif"/> ) and ( a 3 a 3 3 c https://s3-euw1-ap-pe-df-pch-content-public-p.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/9781351074629/5a352613-3b83-41b5-928b-6eb51bce89f4/content/ieq0091.tif"/> ) by comparison of experimental and simulated diffraction patterns.
