Raman study of Nickel-Platinum Silicide formed by RTP process

Nickel-Platinum Silicide (NiPtSi) layers were formed using a Rapid Thermal Process (RTP) furnace. The metal thin films were deposited by RF Magnetron Sputtering using a Ni(Pt) target (97% Ni and 3% Pt) onto a Si (100) substrate. The silicidation of the samples were performed at temperature ranged from 450°C to 900°C. Raman spectroscopy was used to study the vibrational modes and the phases of the obtained NiSi layers. An Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and Four Point probe were used to investigate the quality of the layer's surface and its sheet resistance. The exhibited results of large thermal stability window and low sheet resistance of 1~2.5 O/sqr indicate good quality of the obtained silicide layer.