Low temperature annealing behaviors of the titanium films formed by the ionized sputtering process on (001) silicon substrates

We investigated the low temperature reactions between the Ti films created by the ionized sputtering process and the (001) single crystal silicon wafe rs using high resolution transmission electron microscopy and x-ray diffrac tometry. We observed that the amorphous Ti-Si intermixed layer is formed at the Ti-Si interface whose thickness increased with the thickness of the de posited Ti films. The amorphous interlayer grew upon annealing treatments a t the temperatures below 450 degrees C. We also observed that the crystalli zation of the amorphous interlayer occurred upon annealing at 500 degrees C . The first formed phase is Ti5Si3 in contact with Ti films, which is epita xial with Ti films. Upon further annealing at 500 degrees C, the Ti5Si4 pha se and C49 TiSi2 phase formed in the regions close to Ti films and Si subst rates, respectively.