Abstract
The iridium silicide formation has been examined by depositing Ir on Si(100) at different substrate temperatures under ultrahigh vacuum. An epitaxial Ir3Si4 film was formed when an Ir film of 100 Å was directly deposited on Si(100) at 475 °C and annealed at the same temperature for 1.5 h. The Ir3Si4 was not observed in the conventional annealing process at 475 °C. In contrast, a polycrystalline IrSi film was formed after deposition of an Ir film of 100 Å on Si(100) at room temperature and followed by annealing at 475 °C for 1.5 h under ultrahigh vacuum. Formation of the epitaxial Ir3Si4 on Si(100) is attributed to the interfacial energy of the Ir3Si4/Si(100) interface.