Heat explosion approach to radiofrequency heating of a conductor film on silicon substrate: Application for silicide film formation

Abstract A qualitative analysis of the kinetics of phase formation in a conductor film/Si substrate system by radiofrequency (RF) heating is presented. The analysis is done by using the mathematical approach of the heat explosion theory. It is shown that the system can experience heating at constant temperature or a sudden temperature increase, i.e. heat explosion. The relation between the parameters of the system in the heat explosion regime is presented in a simple analytical form. It was found that measurable quantities, such as film thickness, sheet resistance, specimen dimensions and applied magnetic field, determine whether the process occurs in the constant heating or heat explosion stages. The model was tested for the Ta–Ti–Si system by considering some of the mentioned measurable quantities which were obtained by RF induction heating of Ta–Ti film on Si(1 1 1) and Si(1 0 0) substrates. The agreement of theory with experiment is reasonable. Concentration of Ta in the conductor film, film thickness and the orientation of the Si substrate might influence the reaction rate. On Si(1 1 1) substrates the reaction goes to completion, whereas on Si(1 0 0) intermediate phases remain. This observation was explained in terms of an interface reaction-controlled process of Si atoms transferring from the substrate to the film.