Pulsed KrF laser annealing of Ni/Si0.76Ge0.24 films

Pulsed KrF laser annealing can suppress the island structure formation and Ge segregation associated with the interfacial reactions of ${\mathrm{Ni/Si}}_{\mathrm{0.76}}{\mathrm{Ge}}_{\mathrm{0.24}}.$ For the ${\mathrm{Ni/Si}}_{\mathrm{0.76}}{\mathrm{Ge}}_{\mathrm{0.24}}$ films annealed at an energy density of $\text{0.1–0.3\hspace{0.17em}}{\mathrm{J/cm}}^{\mathrm{2}}$ nickel germanosilicide associated with the amorphous overlayer was formed, while at energy densities above $\text{0.4\hspace{0.17em}}{\mathrm{J/cm}}^{\mathrm{2}}$ cellular structures of Ge-deficient ${\mathrm{Si}}_{\text{1−x}}{\mathrm{Ge}}_x$ islands surrounded by $\mathrm{Ni}({\mathrm{Si}}_{\text{1−x}}{\mathrm{Ge}}_x{)}_2$ due to the constitutional supercooling occurred. For the continuous $\mathrm{Ni}({\mathrm{Si}}_{\text{1−x}}{\mathrm{Ge}}_x)$ films grown at 200 °C, subsequent laser annealing at a higher energy density of $\text{0.6–1.0\hspace{0.17em}}{\mathrm{J/cm}}^{\mathrm{2}}$ caused transformation into homogeneous ${\mathrm{Ni(Si}}_{\mathrm{0.76}}{\mathrm{Ge}}_{\mathrm{0.24}}{\mathrm{)}}_{\mathrm{2}}$ films without island structure and Ge deficiency which readily appeared on furnace annealing at temperatures above 400 °C. At energy densities above $\text{1.6\hspace{0.17em}}{\mathrm{J/cm}}^{\mathrm{2}}$ the same cellular structures as described above were also noted.