IR AND RH SILICIDE FORMATION INVESTIGATED BY MICROPROBE RBS

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 SiO2 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 resoluti on. The in-depth details were also resolved using a 400 keV energy bea m at grazing detecting angle. It was revealed that rapid thermal annea ling at 700 degrees C for 2 min resulted in good quality silicides (e. g. IrSi3 and RhSi1.3), while in case of furnace annealing at 450 degre es C for 120 min the metal layers remained almost untransformed and be came oxidized. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.