The Effect of Titanium Silicidation on Type II End-of-Range Dislocation Loops

The shrinkage in type II end-of-range dislocation loops was used to determine the relative flux of vacancies from the silicidation of titanium on silicon (100) wafers. A low temperature anneal (700°C 20 min.) in a forming gas ambient formed the initial silicide (approximately 750 A thick), and several higher temperature anneals with the silicide intact and etched off followed to study the diffusion of the vacancies. The concentration of vacancies captured by the loops after a 900°C 60 minute post silicidation anneal was approximately 7.8 x 1013 /cm2 while the concentration after a 700°C 60 minute post silicidation anneal was only 9 x 1012 /cm2. Removal of the silicide prior to the high temperature post silicidation anneals resulted in fewer vacancies captured by the loops.