Effect of Elastic Strain Fluctuation on Atomic Layer Growth of Epitaxial Silicide in Si Nanowires by Point Contact Reactions

Effects of strain impact a range of applications involving mobility change in field-effect-transistors. We report the effect of strain fluctuation on epitaxial growth of NiSi2 in a nanowire via point contact and atomic layer reactions, and we discuss the thermodynamic, kinetic, and mechanical implications. The generation and relaxation of strain shown by in situ TEM is periodic and in synchronization with the atomic layer reaction. The Si lattice at the epitaxial interface is under tensile strain, which enables a high solubility of supersaturated interstitial Ni atoms for homogeneous nucleation of an epitaxial atomic layer of the disilicide phase. The tensile strain is reduced locally during the incubation period of nucleation by the dissolution of supersaturated Ni atoms in the Si lattice but the strained-Si state returns once the atomic layer epitaxial growth of NiSi2 occurs by consuming the supersaturated Ni.