THICKNESS DEPENDENCE OF THE PROPERTIES AND THERMAL-STABILITY OF PTSI FILMS

The phase growth sequence, structural, electrical and optical properti es and thermal stability of platinum silicide films were investigated as a function of silicide film thickness in the range 133-2506 Angstro m. The platinum silicide films were formed by ex situ silicidation of Pt films sputter-deposited onto n(-)-Si (100) substrates. Films of all thicknesses were polycrystalline brit exhibited columnar growth morph ology and strong orientation effects. The orientation, grain size, ele ctrical resistivity, specular reflectance and thermal stability were o bserved to be strongly thickness dependent. The temperature at which t he film properties degraded increased with film thickness. The degrada tion mechanism appeared to be Pt diffusion into Si accompanied by the disintegration of the PtSi layer and the formation of an additional Pt 3Si phase.