The C49 to C54 Phase Transformation in TiSi2 Thin Films

Abstract

The microstructure and kinetics of the polymorphic phase transformation have been studied using samples prepared as in self‐aligned silicide applications. For thin films formed at temperatures of 600 and 625°C on (100) single‐crystal silicon substrates, the effective activation energy was , respectively, for the C49 to C54 phase transformation carried out in the temperature range 600 to 700°C. We concluded that the transformation process occurred by nucleation and growth of the orthorhombic face‐centered (C54) phase from the as‐formed orthorhombic base‐centered (C49) phase. The Avrami exponent of and the optical observations suggest that most of the nucleation occurred during the beginning of the transformation process.