Phase formation during Mn thin film reaction with Ge: Self-aligned germanide process for spintronics

Interesting results have been reported concerning the magnetic properties of the Mn5Ge3 compound, opening the road to possibly create spin injectors in Ge. However, a process compatible with the Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor technology, allowing to produce a Mn5Ge3 layer on the active regions of Ge-based transistors has not been well established yet. Here, we report on the solid state reaction between a 50 nm-thick Mn film and amorphous Ge, aiming to investigate a similar process than the one (Salicide) used for contact production in the standard Si technology. In situ X-ray diffraction combined with ex situ structural and magnetic characterizations were used to identify and study phase formation during the Mn/Ge reaction.