In-Situ TEM Studies of Growth, Defects and Reconstruction at Epitaxial Silicide/ Silicon Interfaces

We use ultra-high vacuum transmission electron microscopy to study the growth of nickel silicide in-situ. The free energy of very thin films is influenced dramatically by interface and surface energies, leading to a thickness and orientation dependence to the silicide phase diagram. This is exploited in the template method for improved crystal growth. NiSi sub 2 /SI and CoSi sub 2 /Si interfaces are shown to be atomically abrupt and relatively defect-free, and (100) interfaces are reconstructed.