Phase formation and texture of nickel silicides on Si1−xCx epilayers

We investigated the phase formation and texture of nickel silicides formed during the reaction of 10nm sputter deposited nickel with Si"1"-"xC"x epitaxial layers on Si(100) substrates, having a carbon content between 0 and 2.5 atomic percent. It was found that both the formation temperature as well as the texture of the metal-rich phases is influenced by the amount of carbon in the Si"1"-"xC"x layer. To determine the influence of the location of the carbon during the silicidation process we also investigated the reaction of 10nm nickel on Si(100) substrates, where carbon was either alloyed in the nickel layer or deposited as an interlayer at the interface between the nickel and the substrate. Depending on the location of the carbon, a different thermal stability of the layer was found.