Application of angle-resolved XPS for characterisation of SiC/Ni2Si thin film systems

Ultrathin nickel silicide layers (3 nm) on SiC, heat-treated at 800 and 950 degrees C, were analysed by means of angle-resolved X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (ARXPS) in order to characterise the systems. The core level spectra of Si, C and Ni were correlated with the modelling of the arrangement of the surface layers. The model derived from this suggests that the silicide formed covers the SiC only in part (less than about half) and that the graphite forms a thin (<1 nm) layer on top of the whole surface. The model agrees fairly well with the relative amount of phases expected from the mass balance of the reaction between the initial Ni layer (1.2 nm) and the SiC substrate. Electronic structure was also investigated from the valence band spectra. Copyright (C) 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.