Dynamical Imaging of Nickel Disilicide Nucleation and Step Flow Propagation in Defect-Engineered Si Nanowire

Abstract

The Ni silicides and Si metal-semiconductor contacts are a vital element in the state-of-the-art commercial transistor devices. The latest source/drain (S/D) engineering technology designs the S/D crystal structure (e.g. intentional incorporation of stacking faults) that strains the channel to enhance device performance. Understanding the role of structural alternation, or defects, in Si-Ni reaction is therefore important in achieving precise control of the contact formation process at an atomic scale. Here, we present a study of Si-Ni reaction by lattice-resolved in-situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and found that presence of defects in Si can fundamentally change the silicide nucleation mechanism and growth behavior.