Effect of catalyst for nickel films for NiSi formation with improved interface roughness

• Published in: Thin solid films 2011-08, Vol.519 (20), p.6658-6661
• Main Authors: Kang, Hee-Sung, Ha, Jong-Bong, Lee, Jung-Hee, Choi, Chi Kyu, Lee, Jeong Yong, Lee, Kwang-Man
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: AES; ALD; Catalysis; Catalyst; Catalysts; Catalysts: preparations and properties; Chemistry; Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Deposition; Exact sciences and technology; General and physical chemistry; Intermetallics; Iodine; Leakage current; Materials science; Methods of deposition of films and coatings; film growth and epitaxy; Nickel; Nickel silicide; Physics; Scanning electron microscopy; Silicides; Structure and morphology; thickness; Surfaces and interfaces; thin films and whiskers (structure and nonelectronic properties); Theory and models of film growth; Theory of reactions, general kinetics. Catalysis. Nomenclature, chemical documentation, computer chemistry; Thin film structure and morphology; Vapor phase epitaxy; growth from vapor phase; XRD
• ISSN: 0040-6090; 1879-2731
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tsf.2011.04.081

Iodine is an effective catalyst to obtain homogeneous and smooth metal films with good interface properties. We adopted an iodine catalyst during the nickel film deposition by using atomic layer deposition (ALD) with bis(1-dimethylamino-2-methyl-2-butoxide)nickel [Ni(dmamb) 2] precursor and hydrogen reactant gas. The effect of iodine catalyst to nickel nucleation process was studied. The deposited films were silicided by rapid thermal process (RTP) which was performed by varying temperature from 400 °C to 900 °C in nitrogen ambient. The crystalline properties of nickel and nickel silicide films were examined by X-ray diffractometer (XRD) with various deposition temperatures. The interface properties and the surface morphology of nickel silicide films were studied by using Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) depth profile analyses and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The experimental results showed that the iodine-catalyzed silicide film, which have a clean and smooth interface, exhibit lower resistivity, and lower leakage current density compared to that of non iodine-catalyzed films in implemented n +/p junction diode.