Formation of cobalt silicide by ion beam mixing

Abstract

The formation of cobalt silicides by arsenic ion implantation through a cobalt film which causes a mixing of the metal with the silicon substrate was investigated. Furthermore, cobalt suicides were formed by rapid thermal annealing (RTA). Sheet resistance and silicide phases of implanted Co/Si samples depend on the As dose. Ion beam mixing at doses higher than 5 × 10 15 cm −2 and RTA at temperatures T ⩾ 900° C result in almost equal values of R s. RBS and XRD spectra of these samples illustrate the formation of a homogeneous CoSi 2 layer. Significant lateral growth of cobalt silicide beyond the edge of patterned SiO 2 was observed in samples which were only subjected to an RTA process ( T ⩾ 900 ° C), while this lateral suicide growth could be reduced efficiently by As implantation prior to RTA.