NiSi contact metallization using electroless Ni deposition on Pd-activated self-assembled monolayer (SAM) on p-type Si(100)
In this paper we describe a method to form NiSi contacts using electroless plating of Nickel or Ni alloy on Pd activated self-assembled monolayer (SAM) on p-type Si(100). Such method allows uniform deposition of very thin, <30nm, Ni or Ni alloy films. Clean, oxide free, Si substrate was covered with aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) self-assembled monolayer. The surface was activated with Pdcitrate solution followed by electroless plating. The samples were annealed for 1h in vacuum (?10?6Torr) forming the silicide layer. The annealing temperatures were 400C for NiP alloy and 500C for NiPW alloy. X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurement confirmed the presence of NiSi phase after annealing. The silicides material properties were characterized using secondary electron microscopy (SEM) analysis, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photon spectroscopy (XPS) profiling. The results are reported and summarized.
nisi electroless self assembled monolayer