FORMATION AND KINETICS OF ION-INDUCED YTTRIUM SILICIDE LAYERS

Yttrium layers on amorphous or crystalline silicon substrates were irradiated with 600 keV Ar++, Kr++, and Xe++ ions between liquid-nitrogen temperatures and 265°C. Ion-induced YSi 1.7 formed in those samples irradiated above 205°C and fluence ≥1×1015 ions/cm2. The growth rates were monitored as a function of fluence and nuclear energy deposition at the Y/Si interface. For each ions species investigated, the growth rate varied linearly with the square root of fluence. The apparent activation energy was determined to be 0.6±0.1 eV. The experimental growth rates also exhibited a linear dependence on the nuclear energy deposition. This finding agrees qualitatively with the premise of nonoverlapping subcascades. © 1995 American Institute of Physics.