The formation of epitaxially stabilized nickel and cobalt silicides by pulsed laser annealing
The formation of epitaxially stabilised nickel and cobalt silicides by pulsed laser annealing has been investigated. Thermally grown NiSi and CoSi and Si<111> substrate were irradiated with laser pulses in the energy density range between 0.4 - 1.0 J/cm² in an attempt to produce epitaxially stabilized silicides. The analysis was carried out using well established RBS and channelling techniques. In the bulk form, and in thin films, NiSi has an orthorhombic MnP crystal structure and cannot grow epitaxially on the cubic silicon substrate and channelling is nto observed in the silicides thus prepared. Since NiSi melts at a temperature 400°C below silicon, it is possible to melt the whole NiSi film without melting the substrate. The presence of channelling in the NiSi film observed after laser annealing at lower energy densities was an indication that complete melting of the film had occured allowing for re-ordering of atoms in the melt.
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