Abstract:
The present work deals with the elaboration and characterization of nanometric thin layers of
binary and ternary transition metals and rare earth silicides. The binary system samples were
obtained by implantation of yttrium ions at room temperature (RT), with a dose of 2x 10 17Y +
/ cm2 and an energy equal to 195keV in a P-type Si (111) substrate , followed by thermal
annealing at 600 ° C, 800 ° C and 1000 ° C for 1 hour. Ternary silicide layers Ni/Y/Si
constituting the second series of samples, were formed by ion implantation at room
temperature of yttrium ions into a Si(1 11) substrate with a dose of 8 x 1016 Y+/cm2 and an
energy equal to 200 keV, followed by deposition the thin films of nickel at room temperature
by magnetron sputtering. Then, these samples annealed under vacuum at temperatures varied
between 150-400 °C for 1h. X- ray diffraction (XRD), Rutherford backscattering
spectroscopy (RBS), Raman Spectroscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and the
Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) are the experimental techniques employed for samples
characterization. For the Y/Si system the results show that the yttrium silicide layers YSi2−x
form and grown on the Si in a polycrystalline structure independently of the annealing
temperature. All samples show qualitatively very similar intensity distributions. For the
Ni/Y/Si(111) system, the study highlighted the formation of several binary and ternary
silicides reflecting the reaction in the solid state at the interface of the Ni/Y/Si system.
