Synthesis and characterization of cobalt silicide films on silicon

• Cobalt silicide has emerged as a leading contact material in silicon technology due to its low resistivity, high stability and small lattice mismatch. In this study, 0.2-0.4 mu m thick Co films were deposited on Si(100) wafers by RF magnetron sputtering at room temperature, and annealed at temperatures from 600 to 900 degrees C in vacuum. As-deposited and annealed samples were characterized by Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS), nuclear reaction analysis (NRA), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Although the Si substrates were sputter cleaned before the deposition, all the samples showed a thin oxide layer at the Si/Co interfaces. Annealing up to 700 degrees C did not alter the composition at the interface except small amount Co diffusion into Si. Annealing at 800 degrees C promotes the evaporation of the oxides from the interface and, as a result, clean CoSi2 films were formed. Although the interface appeared to be sharp within the RBS resolution after high temperature annealing, the surface topography was relatively rough with varying size of crystal grains. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Fysik -- Subatomär fysik (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Physical Sciences -- Subatomic Physics (hsv//eng)

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Fysik -- Den kondenserade materiens fysik (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Physical Sciences -- Condensed Matter Physics (hsv//eng)

Keyword

magnetron sputtering

cobalt silicide

NRA

RBS

Publication and Content Type

kon (subject category)

ref (subject category)