title: Pseudoepitaxial transrotational structures in 14 nm-thick NiSi layers on [001] silicon.
abstract: In a system consisting of two different lattices, structural stability is ensured when an epitaxial relationship occurs between them and allows the system to retain the stress whilst avoiding the formation of a polycrystalline film. The phenomenon occurs if the film thickness does not exceed a critical value. Here we show that in spite of its orthorhombic structure, a 14 nm-thick NiSi layer can three-dimensionally adapt to the cubic Si lattice by forming transrotational domains. Each domain arises by the continuous bending of the NiSi lattice, maintaining a close relationship with the substrate structure. The presence of transrotational domains does not cause a roughening of the layer, but instead it improves the structural and electrical stability of the silicide in comparison with a 24 nm-thick layer formed using the same annealing process. These results have relevant implications for the thickness scaling of NiSi layers which are currently used as metallizations of electronic devices.
authors.affiliation: CNR-IMM, Sezione di Catania, Stradale Primosole 50, 95121 Catania, Italy. alessandra.alberti@imm.cnr.it
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alberti
authors.forename: Corrado
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bongiorno
authors.forename: Brunella
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Cafra
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mannino
authors.forename: Emanuele
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rimini
authors.forename: Till
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Metzger
authors.forename: Cristian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mocuta
authors.forename: Thorsten
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kammler
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Feudel
mesh_terms: D018360:Crystallography, X-Ray; D004581:Electronics; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D009532:Nickel / Q000737:chemistry*; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000737:chemistry; D010825:Physics / Q000379:methods; D012825:Silicon / Q000737:chemistry*; D017655:Silicon Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D017655:Silicon Compounds; C506609:nickel silicide; D009532:Nickel; D009584:Nitrogen; D012825:Silicon