Ir and Rh silicide formation investigated by microprobe RBS

Abstract

Detailed in-depth information about silicide formation on patterned Ir and Rh silicide samples was obtained by ion microprobes using grazing exit angle. The samples consisted of square shaped Ir or Rh silicide islands on the bottom of windows opened through a thick SiO 2 layer. In case of 1.5 MeV energy beam it was possible to map the samples up to their largest depths of importance, but with a moderate depth resolution. The in-depth details were also resolved using a 400 keV energy beam at grazing detecting angle. It was revealed that rapid thermal annealing at 700°C for 2 min resulted in good quality silicides (e.g. IrSi 3 and RhSi 1.3), while in case of furnace annealing at 450°C for 120 min the metal layers remained almost untransformed and became oxidized.