Epitaxial CoSi2 formation on (001)Si by reactive deposition
The formation of epitaxial CoSi2 thin films by reactive deposition of cobalt onto silicon (001) substrates at temperatures around 600 degrees C is described. When the deposition rate is below a certain critical value for a particular substrate temperature (for example below 0.02 nm s-1 at 600 degrees C), epitaxial disilicide formation can be achieved. Deposition rates above this critical value lead to the production of polycrystalline disilicide. A mechanism is described to explain the influence of the deposition rate on the formation of epitaxial material.