Laser-induced formation of titanium silicides

In this article, we report on the laser-induced formation of both C49 and C 54 TiSi2 films with fine grains using Q-switched Nd:YAG laser irradiation f rom Ti/Si samples, The films formed were characterized with micro-Raman spe ctroscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispers ive spectrometry and atomic force microscopy, The TiSi2 films synthesized a re single-phased and thin, with fine grains and a smooth film/substrate int erface on the atomic scale, The process is likely to proceed via a solid-st ate reaction rather than liquid-phase intermixing. Our results demonstrate the unique advantages of a laser annealing technique and its potential in d eep submicron semiconductor technology. Copyright (C) 1999 John Wiley & Son s, Ltd.