Published online by Cambridge University Press: 15 February 2011
Interactions between Ti and SiO2 thin films have been studied in self-aligned transistor process in the MOS Integrated Circuits Technology. A thermodynamic study of this interaction was conducted on the titanium and silicon dioxide chemistry. The Gibbs free energy was analyzed in the 25 to 1000°C range and it was concluded that the 11/3 Ti + SiO2 --> 1/3 Ti5 Si3 + 2 Ti reaction has the lowest free energy. Ti thin films were deposited by sputtering over dry silicon oxide and then sintered in atmospheric pressure furnace - RTP at argon ambient. The samples were analyzed by X-RAY Diffraction (XRD), Rutherford Backscatering Spectroscopy (RBS) and fourpoint- probe resistivity measurements. It was showed that experimental results can be modeled by theoretical analysis.