COMPOUND FORMATION AT THE INTERACTION OF PD WITH STRAINED LAYERS OF SI1-XGEX EPITAXIALLY GROWN ON SI(100)

The interaction of thin Pd films deposited on strained layers of Si(1-x)Ge(x) epitaxially grown on Si(100) was studied. The Ge concentration in the molecular beam epitaxy grown Si(1-x)Ge(x) films was x = 0.16, and their thickness 2300 angstrom. A highly textured ternary compound (Pd2Si(1-y)Ge(y)) formed concurrently with the PdGe phase, at annealing temperatures between 200 and 550-degrees-C. Above 500-degrees-C, a region of Si(1-x)Ge(x) alloy with high Ge concentration formed between the fully reacted compound and the unreacted Si(1-x)Ge(x) layer.