Titanium Interlayer Mediated Epitaxy of CoSi2 on Si1−xGex

Titanium Interlayer Mediated Epitaxy (TIME) has been shown to promote the formation of epitaxial CoSi2 on Si (100). Similarities between Si and Si1−xGex alloys have motivated a study of whether the TIME process could be successful in forming epitaxial CoSi2 on Si1−xGex. Titanium layers of varying thickness were deposited as interlayers between a Co layer and c-Si/Si0.8Ge0.2 grown epitaxially onto Si (100) to investigate their role in the formation of epitaxial CoSi2 on Si1−xGex alloys. The effect of Ti interlayer thickness on the orientation of CoSi2 to the Si1−xGex substrate, and the conditions under which a polycrystalline CoSi2 film has been formed have been studied. It was found that Ti was beneficial in promoting epitaxy to the substrate in all cases. The experimental results indicate that with a Ti interlayer thickness of ∼ 50 Å, the formation of epitaxial CoSi2 adjacent to the substrate was achieved, and pinhole formation was minimized. It was also observed that for increased interlayer thickness, Ti reacted with Si to form a titanium silicide.