Structural and electrical characteristics of platinum-silicide-silicon contacts as influenced by sputter etching and annealing ambient

The influence of the surface-cleaning procedure, and the most common annealing ambients on the structure of the platinum-silicide and on the electrical properties of the resulting Schottky barrier have been investigated. With regard to the silicide formation, it has been found that the annealing ambient is the dominant factor; a simple chemical cleaning is sufficient for a complete Pt/Si reaction, provided the annealing is performed in vacuum. However, reproducible and nearly ideal electrical characteristics can be obtained only in sputter-etched samples, regardless of the annealing ambient. Sputter etching has also been found to play an important role in determining the breakdown voltage.