ABSTRACTThe temperature dependence of 300 eV argon ion sputtering of CoSi2 thin films in the range 50–600°C has been investigated. At temperatures above 400°C, the etch rate of CoSi2 on Si is significantly reduced, while the underlying Si reacts with the Co atoms diffusing from the silicide surface. As a result, the silicide layer effectively moves into the substrate during Ar bombardment. During sputtering of CoSi2 on Sio2, the thickness of the silicide layer decreases almost linearly with bombarding time until all the silicide is removed. Similar behavior is observed in low temperature sputtering of CoSi2 on (100) Si and evaporated Si. However, at elevated temperatures (400°C< <600°C), sputtering of CoSi2 on Si undergoes two consecutive stages. During the initial stage, the thickness of the silicide layer decreases at the same rate as that of the silicide on SiO2, and is accompanied by an enrichment in Co concentration near the surface. During the second stage, the etch rate of the silicide is reduced to only one third of the rate during the initial stage.
