Thermally stable amorphous ( Al Mo Nb Si Ta Ti V Zr ) 50 N 50 nitride film as diffusion barrier in copper metallization Appl. Phys. Lett. 92, 052109 (2008); 10.1063/1.2841810 Thermal stability of the interfaces between Co-, Ni-, and Fe-based ferromagnets in contact with selected nitrides M N ( M = Al , B, Nb, Ta, Ti, and V) J. Appl. Phys. 98, 053907 (2005); 10.1063/1.2040002 An evidence of trap activation for positive temperature coefficient of resistivity in BaTiO 3 ceramics with substitutional Nb and Mn as impuritiesWe present measurements of the pseudobinary phase diagram of the TiSi 2 -NbSi 2 system. This disilicide system has recently become important because of the enhanced formation of the low resistivity C54 phase of TiSi 2 by addition of Nb. The solubility limit of Nb in C54 TiSi 2 at 1000°C is found to lie between 10% and 16% at the metal site, and the solubility limit of Ti in C40 NbSi 2 at 1000°C is between 76% and 79.5% at the metal site. Adding Nb to C54 TiSi 2 increases the unit cell volume at a rate of 0.035% per at. % Nb. Adding Nb to C40 ͑Ti,Nb͒Si 2 increases the unit cell volume at a rate of 0.034% per at. % Nb. The presence of Nb enhances the formation of the C54 phase and improves its thermal stability. The desirable low resistivity of the C54 phase is increased by 1.2 ⍀ cm per at. % Nb.

The presence of Mo, either implanted in Si substrate prior to Ti deposition or deposited at the interface between Ti and Si, leads to the formation of C54 TiSi2 at 600 °C. Without Mo, the C54 TiSi2 does not form below 700 °C. It is shown that the C54 TiSi2 formed with the implanted Mo of a nominal dose of 5x1014 at./cm2 and that formed with the deposited Mo of 0.09 nm average thickness, display similar microstructure properties. The preferential orientation of the C54 TiSi2 is <110> in the samples with implanted Mo or with 0.09 nm Mo interlayer, as well as in the reference sample without any Mo. It becomes <010> when the Mo interlayer is 0.73 nm thick. The silicide surface and Si/silicide interface are appreciably rougher for the silicides formed with 0.09 nm Mo interlayer, with implanted Mo or in the absence of Mo, than for the silicide formed with 0.73 nm Mo interlayer. The experimental results indicate that the enhanced formation of C54 TiSi2 is caused by the same effect, i.e. template mechanism, irrespective of the means of Mo addition to the Ti-Si system.