NEAR-SURFACE Ni HETEROGENEITY IN AS-DEPOSITED Ni/Si STRUCTURES: SEM/EDS EVIDENCE

Abstract

Near-surface Ni distribution in as-deposited Ni/Si structures was examined by SEM/EDS before thermal silicidation. Electron-beam deposition on Si(100) was performed at 32 °C without post-deposition annealing. All six EDS line trajectories showed their maximum evaluated Ni value at the initial point. The repeated spatial ordering identifies a heterogeneous Ni-containing pre-annealing state relevant to subsequent reaction-driven silicidation.