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Transmission electron microscopy characterization of the erbium silicide formation process using a Pt/Er stack on a silicon‐on‐insulator substrate
Author(s) -
ŁASZCZ A.,
KĄTCKI J.,
RATAJCZAK J.,
TANG XIAOHUI,
DUBOIS E.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
journal of microscopy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.569
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1365-2818
pISSN - 0022-2720
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2818.2006.01653.x
Subject(s) - silicide , erbium , materials science , silicon , transmission electron microscopy , annealing (glass) , silicon on insulator , substrate (aquarium) , crystallography , optoelectronics , nanotechnology , metallurgy , chemistry , doping , oceanography , geology
Summary Very thin erbium silicide layers have been used as source and drain contacts to n ‐type Si in low Schottky barrier MOSFETs on silicon‐on‐insulator substrates. Erbium silicide is formed by a solid‐state reaction between the metal and silicon during annealing. The influence of annealing temperature (450 °C, 525 °C and 600 °C) on the formation of an erbium silicide layer in the Pt/Er/Si/SiO 2 /Si structure was analysed by means of cross‐sectional transmission electron microscopy. The Si grains/interlayer formed at the interface and the presence of Si grains within the Er‐related layer constitute proof that Si reacts with Er in the presence of a Pt top layer in the temperature range 450–600 °C. The process of silicide formation in the Pt/Er/Si structure differs from that in the Er/Si structure. At 600 °C, the Pt top layer vanishes and a (Pt–Er)Si x system is formed.