Effect of Mo doping on accelerated growth of C-54TiSi(2): Evidence for template mechanism

The phase sequence of the rapid thermal processing induced reaction at T=65 0 degrees C has been studied by a combination of high resolution transmissi on electron microscopy and image simulations. We found that pre-amorphizati on of poly-Si substrates does not change the reaction path, i.e., Ti5Si4 an d C-49 TiSi2 phases were formed with the latter growing upon further anneal ing. In the Mo doped poly-Si/Ti system the C-54 TiSi2 phase forms along wit h Ti5Si4 and two Mo silicide phases, MoSi2 and Mo5Si3; no C-49 TiSi2 was ob served. We provide direct evidence that the Ti-Si reaction in the Mo doped system follows the template mechanism with MoSi2 and Mo5Si3 based phases ac ting as template phases for accelerated growth of C-54 TiSi2. Direct format ion of C-54 TiSi2 at lower temperatures bypassing C-49 TiSi2 is very promis ing for application of the Ti salicide process in the future generation of deep-submicron complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor devices. (C) 1999 Am erican Institute of Physics. [S0021-8979(99)06717-1].