Ion beam synthesis of CoSi2: Influence of surface kinetics on nucleation

Abstract The experimentally observed kinetics of CoSi 2 precipitate nucleation in Si during Co implantation are compared with the predictions of an analytical model that includes the coupling between absorption/desorption of impurity atoms at the precipitate surface and impurity diffusion from the bulk. The comparison shows that in this system, precipitate nucleation deviates considerably from the thermodynamical form.