Epitaxial C49–TiSi2 phase formation on the silicon (100)

Abstract

The crystallographic characteristics of an epitaxial C49–TiSi2 island formed on the Si (100) substrate were investigated by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The analysis results clearly showed that the optimum epitaxial relationship between the C49–TiSi2 phase and the Si substrate is [001]C49//[011]Si and (010)C49//(100)Si. We found that the interfacial energy at the C49–TiSi2/Si interface is relaxed by the formation of misfit dislocations and/or atomic steps, and consequently the epitaxial C49 phase is thermally stable so it is not transformed to the C54 phase even after high-temperature annealing above 900 °C. Further, the mechanism on the formation of the epitaxial C49 phase on the Si substrate and the atomic arrangement of stacking faults lying on the C49 (020) plane are discussed through the analysis of HRTEM images.