In situ high temperature synchrotron-radiation diffraction studies of silicidation processes in nanoscale Ni layers

The formation of nickel silicides has been studied by X-ray diffraction experiments using synchrotron radiation (SR). A high temperature chamber was used to investigate the phase formation and transition processes under quasi-static conditions at temperatures from 200 to 650°C. Samples with different dopants, several metal layer thicknesses as well as samples with and without a 150 A TiN capping layer on single-crystal (001) and polycrystalline silicon substrates were examined. While n-type dopants like P and As had no significant impact on the silicidation processes, boron decreased the range of thermal stability of the low-resistivity phase NiSi. A TiN capping layer shifts both these formation and transition temperatures to higher values.