Effect of Sputtered Ti thickness and Post Deposition Annealing Temperature on The Formation of Ti_5Si_4 Nanocrystal on Si via Direct-Deposit Self-Assembly Method

摘要

Ti_5Si_4 nanocrystals have been successfully formed on Si using direct-deposit self-assembly method. In this work, Ti film was deposited on p-type silicon (100) substrate via DC sputtering for different duration (20 s, 30 s, and 40 s) and underwent post deposition annealing (PDA) at 1000, 1050 , and 1100 ℃. Effects of sputtered Ti film thickness and annealing temperature on TiSSi4 nanocrystal formation were investigated. Characterizations of Ti5Si4 nanocrystal had done using x-ray diffraction (XRD) system, field emission scanning electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy. Based on XRD results, crystalline Ti5Si4 had been formed as the PDA temperature was increased. Similarly, the crystallinity of Ti5Si4 was improved as the initial sputtered Ti that had been used was thicker. AFM and FESEM had been used to investigate the topography and morphology of the nanocrystals. Through this experiment, the minimum nanocrystal size was observed in sample annealed at 1050 oC and even smaller nanocrystal can be obtained by further reducing the sputtered film thickness. The minimum mean area of Ti5Si4 nanocrystal was approximately 800 nm2.