Effect of P addition on the thermal stability and electrical characteristics of NiSi films

Immersion Ni-P deposition is undoubtedly one of the most important catalytic deposition process, due to its simplicity in operation and low equipment cost. In this study, immersion deposited Ni-P films were used to form Ni-silicide films. Ni-P films with a thickness of 100 nm were fabricated by immersing Si(100) substrates in an aqueous deposition solution. Ni-silicide films were then formed by annealing the samples in a furnace at temperatures ranging from 400 °C to 900 °C for 1 h in an argon ambient. Experimental results indicate that a phosphor addition in Ni films increased the transformation temperature of NiSi to NiSi₂ to 900 °C. Moreover, the feasibility of enhancing the thermal stability of NiSi by varying the interface energy at the NiSi₂/Si interface and the surface energy of a Ni-P-Si capping layer on the NiSi surface is discussed.