Interfacial reactions of Ti/Cu/(100)Si

For the Ti/Cu/(100)Si system the effect of an interposed Cu layer 3.5 nm thick on the C49-C54 TiSi₂ transformation temperature was studied. The temperature for complete C49-C54 TiSi₂ transformation was raised from 710°C for the Ti/(100)Si samples to 750°C for the Ti/Cu/(100)Si samples. The enhanced thermal stability of C49 TiCu_xSi_2-x may be attributed to its reduced electron/atom ratio and large grain size in comparison with those of C49 TiSi₂.