A study of WSi$_2$ film peeling off from Si substrate

텅스텐 실리사이드 박막 들뜸에 관한 연구

High temperature anneal of W-rich silicides, inferior to adherence compared with Si-rich silicides, resulted in the film peeling off from the Si-substrate when WSix thickness reached more than critical thickness. Investigation of the W-rich silicide films peeling off from the substrate revealed that the voids underneath the $WSi_2$ produced through silicide reaction were responsible for the poor adherence of W-rich silicide. In addition, internal stress in the film increased as the silicide thickness increased. In order to promote the adhesion of WSix to Si-substrate, thin Ti-layer was formed between WSi and Si-substrate(WSix/Ti/Si). No voids were observed in $WSi_2$/Ti/Si $N_2$-annealed at $1000^{\circ}C$, thereby leading to an increase of the critical thickness from ～1700$\AA$ to more than 2500$\AA$. However, higher resisiti-vity was obtained in WSix/Ti/Si than in WSix/Si. Finally, different silicide reaction mechanism for the structures(WSix/Si, WSix/Ti/Si) was proposed to explain the formation of voids as well as the role of thin Ti-layer.