Low Temperature Dissociation of SiOx by Gold

The native silicon-oxide (SiOx) layer at the metal/Silicon interface acts as an electrical resistance to the metal contact of devices. Various methods are proposed for removing this layer, such as sputtering before metal contact formation or high temperature annealing. We studied the chemical evolution of the Au/SiOx/Si system during the annealing at $500^{\circ}C$ using a spatially resolved photoelectron emission method. Scanning photoelectron emission microscopy (SPEM) and core level spectra from local area of the sample show the inhomogeneous oxidation and formation of silicide of Au, as well as valence band spectra reveals the role of Au atoms during the dissociation process of SiOx.