Electronic Structure of Te/Sb/Ge and Sb/Te/Ge Multi Layer Films Using Photoelectron Spectroscopy

Te/Sb/Ge and Sb/Te/Ge multilayer films with an atomically controlled interface were synthesized using effusion cell and e-beam techniques. The layers interacted during the deposition, resulting in films composed of Sb−Te+Sb−Sb/Ge and Sb/Sb−Te/Ge−Te/Ge respectively. Atomic diffusion and chemical reactions in films during the annealing process were investigated by photoemission spectroscopy. In the case of Te/Sb/Ge, Ge diffused into the Sb−Te region released Sb in Sb−Te bonds and interacted with residual Te, resulting in a change in valence band line shape, which was similar to that of a Ge1Sb2Te4 crystalline phase. The Ge−Sb−Te alloy underwent a stoichiometric change during the process, resulting in a 1.2:2:4 ratio, consistent with the most stable stoichiometry value calculated by ab initio density-functional theory. The experimental results strongly suggest that the most stable structure is generated through a reaction process involving the minimization of total energy. In addition, Ge in the Sb/Te/Ge film diffused into Sb−Te region by thermal energy. However, Ge was not able to diffuse to the near surface because Sb atoms of the high concentration at the surface were easily segregated and hindered the diffusion of other elements.