STRUCTURAL INVESTIGATION OF THERMALLY NITRIDED AMORPHOUS TI SILICIDE

Thermal nitridation of thin amorphous Ti-silicide films is studied. Th e use of hydrazine pas enables the nitridation at 500 degrees C, well below the nucleation temperature of Ti silicide. Transmission electron microscopy reveals that these TiSiN fims have amorphous structures, w hich are shown to be stable up to 750 degrees C. X-ray photoelectron s pectroscopy indicates the simultaneous formation of Ti-N and Si-N bond s. This is consistent with the Ti-Si-N ternary phase diagram. Further, the presence of this nitrided film between Al and Si retards the inte rfacial reaction up to an annealing temperature of 550 degrees C near the eutectic point (577 degrees C) of an Al-Si system. (C) 1997 Americ an Institute of Physics.