Thermally induced epitaxial recrystallization of NiSi₂ and CoSi₂

Time-resolved reflectivity and Rutherford backscattering spectrometry combined with channeling have been used to measure the epitaxial recrystallization kinetics of amorphous NiSi₂ and CoSi₂ layers. Epitaxial metal silicide layers, fabricated on (111) Si substrates by metal deposition and thermal reaction, were implanted with low-energy Si ions to form amorphous surface layers. Such layers recrystallized epitaxially from the underlying crystalline metal silicide during thermal annealing at temperatures of 60-176 °C. Post-anneal disorder consisted of dislocation networks as observed with transmission electron microscopy. Reduced recrystallization rates were apparent in samples implanted with O and Ar ions. Activation energies of 1.09±0.03 and 1.17±0.03 eV were determined for the epitaxial recrystallization of amorphous NiSi₂ and CoSi₂ layers, respectively.