Cobalt and titanium metallization of SiGeC for shallow contacts

Shallow contact metallization of SiGeC was studied in anticipation of this alloys use in low power applications. It has been shown that in the solid state reaction of Co on (100) Si, that Co is the moving species with proper annealing conditions. This prevents the formation of Kirkendal voiding in certain device structures. This work studies the Co and Ti metallization of SiGeC. A bilayer of 44 nm of Co on 7 nm of Ti, were electron beam evaporated onto epitaxially grown Si _0.77Ge _0.21C _0.02. The samples were rapid thermal processed at 600 and 900 °C for up to two minutes in a nitrogen ambient. The analysis techniques used were Rutherford backscattering spectrometry which included the used of the 4.27 MeV ¹²C(α,α) ¹²C resonance reaction, glancing angle x-ray diffraction. During annealing at all temperatures, Co diffused through the Ti layer and formed CoSi. This phase was confirmed by x-ray diffraction. The Co displaced the Ti to the surface. At 600 °C, Ge diffused to the surface layer, while at 900 °C it was rejected back into the original SiGeC. The sample annealed at 600 °C was subsequently annealed at 900 °C. The Ge in the surface layer was rejected from the surface layer, diffused across the CoSi and back into the SiGeC.