ABSTRACTA new substrate material consisting of a buffer layer of a Ba-Si compound was developed by making use of the chemical reaction between BaF2 and Si. This substrate is very promising for the integration of IV-VI semiconductor materials with silicon. PbTe films of excellent quality, as determined by X-ray and Reflected High Energy Electron Diffraction spectra, have been deposited over (111)- and (100)-oriented silicon wafers of 3 inch diameter. These PbTe films are (100)-oriented irrespective of the Si orientation. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy studies reveal very interesting chemistry at the interface between Ba-Si and Te. They suggest that BaTe may form between PbTe and Ba-Si at their interface. This interfacial region, which is of the order of only a few molecular layers, appears to be critical in the success of the deposition. Thermal cycling showed that the PbTe/BaSi/Si system is mechanically very stable. The possibility of a similar growth mechanism for the deposition of II-VI semiconductors such as CdTe is considered.
