Kinetics of Pd/sub 2/Si layer growth measured by an x-ray diffraction technique

Journal Article · Thu May 15 04:00:00 EDT 1986 · J. Appl. Phys.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.336816· OSTI ID:5957007

Coulman, B; Chen, H

An x-ray diffraction approach has been developed for determination of the kinetics of growth of Pd/sub 2/Si layers. Epitaxial Pd/sub 2/Si films were grown on Si(111) substrates over a temperature range of 160-222/sup 0/C by a solid-state reaction between the substrates and the Pd overlayers. The parabolic rate equation was verified and rate constants showed Arrhenius behavior with an activation energy E/sub a/ = 1.06 eV and prefactor k/sub 0/ = 7 x 10/sup -4/ cm/sup 2//s. The low value of E/sub a/ suggests a short-circuit diffusion mechanism. It is reasonable to expect that impurities and microstructure may play important roles in the growth process. Impurity levels in the specimens were evaluated by analytic techniques suited to thin-film study: Rutherford backscattering spectrometry, secondary ion mass spectrometry, and Auger electron spectrometry. No impurities were present at concentrations approaching 1 at. %. Some O, C, and F were detected at the Pd/sub 2/Si/Si interfaces. The annealing ambient was the major source of further contamination. Upon emergence of the growth interface through the sample surface (some Pd/sub 2/Si on surface), impurity pickup was detected. Interfacial roughness was indicated by all the techniques to be on the order of 20 nm.

• Research Organization: Department of Metallurgy and Mining Engineering and the Materials Research Laboratory, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-76ER01198
• OSTI ID: 5957007
• Journal Information: J. Appl. Phys.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Appl. Phys.; (United States) Vol. 59:10; ISSN JAPIA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360601* -- Other Materials-- Preparation & Manufacture
360602 -- Other Materials-- Structure & Phase Studies
ACTIVATION ENERGY
ANNEALING
BACKSCATTERING
COHERENT SCATTERING
CRYSTAL GROWTH
CRYSTAL STRUCTURE
DIFFRACTION
ENERGY
EPITAXY
FILMS
HEAT TREATMENTS
IMPURITIES
KINETICS
MASS SPECTROSCOPY
MICROSTRUCTURE
PALLADIUM COMPOUNDS
PALLADIUM SILICIDES
ROUGHNESS
SCATTERING
SILICIDES
SILICON COMPOUNDS
SPECTROSCOPY
SURFACE PROPERTIES
THIN FILMS
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
X-RAY DIFFRACTION