Epitaxial growth of a (100) CoSi2 layer from carbonic cobalt films deposited on (100) Si substrate using an organometallic source

We report the epitaxial growth of a (100) CoSi2 layer on Si (100) substrate by the diffusion of Co from an amorphous carbonic cobalt film. The employment of an intermediate buffer layer, usually required between Si and pure Co, was eliminated in this experiment. The amorphous carbonic cobalt film was prepared by the organometallic chemical vapor deposition of cyclopentadienyl dicarbonyl cobalt, Co(η5–C5H5)(CO)2 at 350 °C. The carbonic cobalt film was capped by a sputtered Ti layer to avoid oxidation of Co during annealing. A CoSi2 layer was epitaxially grown on Si (100) by ex situ rapid thermal annealing at 800 °C in N2 ambient. The supply of Co by diffusion in the carbonic cobalt film seemed to be low enough to form an epitaxial CoSi2 layer.