Improved thermal stability of Ni silicide on Si (100) through reactive deposition of Ni

Abstract

The effect of reactive deposition of Ni on the thermal stability of Ni silicide has been investigated in this study. In the case of room-temperature-deposited Ni, the agglomeration of Ni silicide, which induced the thermal instability during subsequent annealing, started to appear at 600 degreesC and the sheet resistance was increased abruptly after high-temperature anneals. However, when the Ni was deposited on the heated Si substrate (reactive deposition of Ni), the sheet resistance of Ni silicide film exhibited a constant value of about 7.91 Omega/rectangle at the whole reaction temperature, especially at 900 degreesC. (C) 2003 American Vacuum Society.