Positron beam studies of cobalt silicides

Silicide formation in Co/Si thin structures synthesized using thermal evaporation, sputter deposition and ion implantation, has been investigated using depth-resolved positron annihilation spectroscopy (PAS) together with other corroborative experimental techniques. S vs. Ep curves and S–W correlation plots have revealed important processes such as defect annealing, interdiffusion, silicide formation and recrystallization of amorphous Si. These studies have shown that there exist differences in the formation temperature of the silicide phases, the sequence of silicide phase formation and defect generation owing to the nature of the deposition methods employed.