Activation energy for Pt2Si and PtSi formation measured over a wide range of ramp rates

Abstract

The activation energies, Ea's, for Pt2Si and PtSi formation were determined using in situ resistance measurements with ramp rates ranging from 0.4 °C/m to 100 °C/s. Measurements were performed using both conventional furnace and rapid thermal annealing (RTA). Pt films were evaporated on undoped polycrystalline Si and single-crystal Si on sapphire substrates. The Ea's determined from Kissinger plots were 1.63 ± 0.05 and 1.61 ± 0.06 eV for Pt2Si formation and 1.83 ± 0.06 and 1.83 ± 0.07 eV for PtSi formation with polycrystalline Si and silicon on sapphire substrates, respectively. These are the first reported measurements of Ea's for Pt2Si and PtSi formation over such a wide range of heating rates (greater than four orders of magnitude) and at such high heating rates. The phase formation sequence remained the same for the range of heating rates examined.