Combined XRR and RS Measurements of Nickel Silicide Films (original) (raw)
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Characterisation of nickel silicide thin films by spectroscopy and microscopy techniques
Micron, 2009
This article discusses the formation and detailed materials characterisation of nickel silicide thin films. Nickel silicide thin films have been formed by thermally reacting electron beam evaporated thin films of nickel with silicon. The nickel silicide thin films have been analysed using Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) depth profiles, secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS), and Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy (RBS). The AES depth profile shows a uniform NiSi film, with a composition of 49-50% nickel and 51-50% silicon. No oxygen contamination either on the surface or at the silicide-silicon interface was observed. The SIMS depth profile confirms the existence of a uniform film, with no traces of oxygen contamination. RBS results indicate a nickel silicide layer of 114 nm, with the simulated spectra in close agreement with the experimental data. Atomic force microscopy and transmission electron microscopy have been used to study the morphology of the nickel silicide thin films. The average grain size and average surface roughness of these films was found to be 30-50 and 0.67 nm, respectively. The film surface has also been studied using Kikuchi patterns obtained by electron backscatter detection. #
Phase formation and thermal stability of ultrathin nickel-silicides on Si(100)
Applied Physics Letters, 2010
The solid-state reaction and agglomeration of thin nickel-silicide films was investigated from sputter deposited nickel films ͑1-10 nm͒ on silicon-on-insulator ͑100͒ substrates. For typical anneals at a ramp rate of 3°C / s, 5-10 nm Ni films react with silicon and form NiSi, which agglomerates at 550-650°C, whereas films with a thickness of 3.7 nm of less were found to form an epitaxylike nickel-silicide layer. The resulting films show an increased thermal stability with a low electrical resistivity up to 800°C.
Physical Review B, 1998
We report an x-ray-absorption fine-structures XAFS investigation of a series of nickel and nickel silicide thin films prepared by magnetron sputtering nickel on Si100 substrates and sequential annealing procedures. XAFS at the Ni K edge, Si K edge, and Si L 3,2 edge have been used to monitor the structure and bonding systematics at different stages of the silicidation process. It is found that the as-deposited film exhibits noticeable intermixing at the Ni-Si interface at room temperature, leading to the formation of a Ni-rich silicide in the vicinity of the interface; as the annealing temperature increases, predominantly NiSi and NiSi 2 phases are sequentially formed. It is also shown that Si L 3,2-edge studies using total electron yield and fluorescence yield are ideally suited for noninvasive characterization of silicide thin films. S0163-18299801115-1
A study of nickel and cobalt silicides formed in the Ni/Co/Si(1 0 0) system by thermal annealing
Materials Science-Poland, 2020
In this work, the Ni/Co/Si system was annealed at temperatures ranging from 300 °C to 800 °C. The samples were characterized by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy (RBS), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and sheet resistance measurement. The XRD and Raman spectroscopy results showed that the formation of nickel and cobalt silicides (CoSi, Co2Si, Ni2Si, NiSi, NiSi2, CoSi2) is an annealing temperature dependent diffusion process. The diffusion phenomenon was evidenced by RBS. The low values of the sheet resistance which were correlated with the films surface roughness were attributed to the formation of both CoSi and NiSi phases.
Effect of a noble annealing system on nickel silicide formation
12th IEEE International Conference on Advanced Thermal Processing of Semiconductors, 2004. RTP 2004., 2004
We have investigated the formation of NiSi dependence on three types of annealing systems: annealing systems-I,-II, and-III. The annealing system-I transfers heat by radiation from tungsten halogen lamps in a N 2 atmosphere to the wafer and the annealing system-II by conduction from a heated hot plate in vacuum to the wafer. On the other hand, annealing system-III uses a combination of convective and gas phase conductive heat transfer in a N 2 atmosphere for wafer heating. Smooth surface and interface morphologies and good electrical properties were obtained for NiSi layers formed using annealing system-III. The wafer heat transfer mechanism from the heat source to wafer is shown to influence the morphological and electrical properties of NiSi.
Thin nickel silicide layer formation on silicon on insulator material
Materials Science and Engineering: B, 2004
In this work we study the phase transition of 14 and 7 nm thin Ni layers grown on standard silicon and silicon on insulator (SOI) wafers implanted with As. We investigate the thermal stability of the NiSi phase using spike thermal processes which are widely used to preserve shallow junction from dopant diffusion during electrical activation. Nickel reaction has been performed in nitrogen ambient in the temperature range from 450 to 1125 • C and has been characterised by electrical and structural analyses. In spite of the thin layers used, spike annealing processes extend the stability window up to 900 • C preserving the NiSi layer from structural degradation. Moreover, the use of SOI substrates has a favourable impact on the silicide structure that prevents agglomeration and hole formation.
Chemistry of Materials, 2015
The synthesis of nickel silicide thin films via a vapor− 8 solid reaction has been studied by exposing thin (10 nm) Ni films to 9 silane (SiH 4 ). The crystalline phases, the Ni/Si stoichiometric ratios, as 10 well as the surface and interface properties of the resulting silicide films 11 were investigated as a function of the growth parameters such as the 12 SiH 4 partial pressure, the reaction temperature, and the exposure time. 13 At low temperature (300°C), SiH 4 exposure led to the self-limiting 14 deposition of Si on Ni by catalytic decomposition of SiH 4 but not to 15 silicate formation. Between 350 and 400°C, phase pure orthorhombic 16 NiSi films were obtained that were formed directly without any apparent 17 intermediate Ni-rich silicide phases. A transformation to NiSi 2 occurred 18 at 450°C and above, and at 500°C phase pure NiSi 2 was obtained. 19 Here, the transient formation of NiSi was observed that transformed 20 into NiSi 2 for prolonged SiH 4 exposure. The results indicate that the Si 21 solubility governs the phase formation sequence whereas kinetics are determined by Ni diffusion and the reaction rate. Resistivity 22 values of 21 and 36 μΩ cm were found for the NiSi and NiSi 2 thin films, respectively, corresponding to the values reported for 23 films obtained by solid-state reactions. 24 ■ INTRODUCTION 25