Surface, structural, and electrical properties of C54 TiSi2 thin films grown on n-Si (100) substrates by using high-temperature sputtering and one-step annealing

The surface, the structural, and the electrical properties of C54 TiSi2 thin films grown on n-Si (100) substrates by using a high-temperature sputtering and one-step annealing method were investigated to produce Ohmic contacts with low specific contact resistances. Atomic force microscopy images showed that the surfaces of the annealed C54 TiSi2 thin films grown on the n-Si (100) substrates became smooth due to the increase in the substrate temperature. Scanning electron microscopy images, energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence, and X-ray diffraction patterns showed that thin layers were C54 TiSi2 polycrystalline films. Current-voltage measurements showed that the specific contact resistance of the C54 TiSi2/n-Si (100) heterostructures decreased dramatically with increasing substrate temperature. These results indicate that C54 TiSi2 thin films grown on the n-Si (100) substrates by using the high-temperature sputtering and one-step annealing method hold promise for potential applications in Si-based ultra-large-scale integration devices. C 2005 Springer Science + Business Media, Inc.