Calcium Fluoride Films with 2-10 nm Thickness on Silicon-(111): Growth, Diagnostics, Study of the through Current Transport

Epitaxial calcium fluoride (CaF2) layers with a nominal thickness up to 10 nm on the (111)-oriented Silicon (Si) are obtained. Surface topographies of the fluoride films are recorded and the current-voltage characteristics of the Au/CaF2/Si structures are studied. On a qualitative level, these structures exhibited all the features usual for metal-insulator-semiconductor systems. The current-voltage curves of the samples were reproduced by modeling considering a finite (0.1-1 nm) value of the standard thickness deviation of the dielectric CaF2 film.