Kinetic Competition Model and Size-Dependent Phase Selection in 1-D Nanostructures

The first phase selection and the phase formation sequence between metal and silicon (Si) couples are indispensably significant to microelectronics. With increasing scaling of device dimension to nano regime, established thermodynamic and kinetic models in bulk and thin film fail to apply in 1-D nanostructures. Herein, we present an unique size-dependent first phase formation sequence in 1-D nanostructures, with Ni-Si as the model system. Interfacial-limited phase which forms the last in thin film, NiSi2, appears as the dominant first phase at 300-800 degrees C due to the elimination of continuous grain boundaries in 1-D suicides. On the other hand, theta-Ni2Si, the most competitive diffusion-limited phase takes over NiSi2 and wins out as the first phase in small diameter nanowires at 800 degrees C. Kinetic parameters extracted from in situ transmission electron microscope studies and a modified kinetic growth competition model quantitatively explain this observation. An estimated critical diameter from the model agrees reasonably well with observations.