Thermal stability of cobalt and nickel silicides in amorphous and crystalline silicon

CoSi sub(2) is stable on amorphous Si and crystalline Si substrates and it shows low resistivity after 950 degree C and 30 minutes annealing. NiSi is stable and shows low resistivity on crystalline Si after 750 degree C and 30 minutes annealing, but is unstable on amorphous Si substrate even after 400 degree C annealing. Both NiSi and NiSi sub(2) are formed and mixed with the Si substrate, and the processes increase with annealing temperature. Results suggest that CoSi sub(2) is a better silicide material for amorphous Si device applications