Effects of electron beam generated in vacuum photo-thermal processing on metal-silicon contacts

The influence of electron beam during vacuum photo-thermal processing (VPP) treatment of metal-silicon contacts, was studied. This is the first experimentally evidence for a novel effect of potential barrier variations in metal-semi conductor contacts following a VPP. The possibility to control the potential barrier in metal-silicon contacts was shown. The same nature of influence of electron beam on the potential barrier between silicon and other metals such as: Ti and Ni were presented as well. The potential barriers in, Ti-Si and Ni-Si were varied from 0.605 to 0.785 eV and from 0.571 to 0.672 eV, respectively. Furthermore, it was found experimentally that the metallic surface order in the metal-silicon pair, following VPP, was dramatically improved. Surface roughness was decreased and the electrical conductivity was increased. Finally, the influence of a non-coherent irradiation on the properties of metal-silicon contacts was studied. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.