Ultrathin Ni(Pt) silicide formation by laser annealing

The unusual dependence of ultrathin Ni(Pt)Si film formation induced by laser annealing (LA) on thermal budget is demonstrated. It is revealed that a higher thermal budget is required for thinner as-deposited Ni(Pt) film silicidation due to the poorer absorption of laser energy. Besides, compared with conventional RTP, LA can also effectively improve the thermal stability of the ultrathin Ni(Pt)Si film, which can be ascribed to the reduced tensile stress induced by LA during the silicidation process.