Superconductivity in ultra-thin CoSi2 epitaxial films

Abstract

The first results on the superconducting properties of ultra-thin epitaxial CoSi2 films are reported. The metal films are obtained by solid phase epitaxy under ultra high-vacuum conditions, with thicknesses ranging from 600 Å down to 50 A. These films are stable against temperature cycling from 350 mK up to room temperature and superconducting for thicknesses down to 100 Å. Results showing a reduction of the transition temperature and variations of the critical magnetic field with decreasing film thicknesses are presented. Furthermore, for very low film thicknesses (i.e. 100 A), an intermediate plateau is observed in the resistivity versus temperature curve. The physical origin of these phenomena is briefly discussed