Silicidation in chromium-amorphous silicon multilayer films

Chromium silicide formation from chromium/amorphous silicon multilayer thin films was investigated using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and t ransmission electron microscopy (TEM). The chromium and amorphous silicon t hin films were RF sputtered without breaking the vacuum onto unheated monoc rystalline NaCl substrates at a deposition rate of similar to 1 Angstrom /s . The nominal ratio of the layer thicknesses, silicon-to-chromium, was appr oximately 3.3:1. The thermograms, realized at two different scanning rates between room temperature and 600 degreesC, revealed a small peak at similar to 300 degreesC and a strong peak at similar to 500 degreesC. The TEM inve stigation showed that the small and the main DSC peaks were attributed to t he nucleation of the CrSi2 phase and the growth of the same phase, respecti vely. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.