FORMATION OF RHODIUM SILICIDE BY RAPID THERMAL ANNEALING AND BY ION-BEAM MIXING

Rhodium silicide (RhSi) of a specific resistivity of 120 +/- 10-mu-OMEGA.cm was formed by the solid phase reaction of rhodium and silicon by use of rapid thermal annealing at temperatures ranging from 600 up to 900-degrees-C. Annealing at temperatures above 1000-degrees-C resulted in a drastic increase in specific resistivity and in an inhomogeneous, tarnished layer. No reaction of rhodium and silicon oxide after annealing took place. Through-metal arsenic implantation was used to mix rhodium with the silicon substrate. Without annealing after the mixing process, no silicide phase could be identified by X-ray diffraction measurements. By annealing at 800-degrees-C the silicide phase RhSi was formed.