Atomic force microscope investigation of the thermal stability of thin TiSi₂ films

Abstract

The thermal stability of TiSi2 films on Si has been studied using the atomic force microscope (AFM). Changes in the surface roughness, film morphology, and sheet resistance were monitored during a series of rapid thermal annealing treatments. A linear increase of the root-mean-square (rms) roughness with time was observed during the early stages of degradation, in agreement with a surface diffusion model of thermal grooving, followed by an apparent saturation roughness that was attributed to the effective rupture of the film.