Phase formation and texture of nickel silicides on Si1−xCx epilayers

We investigated the phase formation and texture of nickel silicides formed during the reaction of 10 nm sputter deposited nickel with Si_1−xC_x epitaxial layers on Si(1 0 0) substrates, having a carbon content between 0 and 2.5 atomic percent. It was found that both the formation temperature as well as the texture of the metal-rich phases is influenced by the amount of carbon in the Si_1−xC_x layer. To determine the influence of the location of the carbon during the silicidation process we also investigated the reaction of 10 nm nickel on Si(1 0 0) substrates, where carbon was either alloyed in the nickel layer or deposited as an interlayer at the interface between the nickel and the substrate. Depending on the location of the carbon, a different thermal stability of the layer was found.