Lateral heterogeneity in the surface composition after laser processing of Ti/Si interface contaminated with oxygen

The lateral variations in the surface composition of an oxygen-contaminated Ti/Si(001) interface processed by pulsed laser annealing were investigated by synchrotron radiation x-ray photoemission spectromicroscopy. It has been found that SiO2, which segregates on top of the Ti suicide film, appears only in a circular edge region of the laser spots and is completely absent in the hotter internal area, where SiO evaporation has occurred. The results demonstrate that the temperature gradient within the laser-irradiated area can affect substantially the lateral homogeneity of the fabricated interfaces, an important issue for microdevice technology. © 2001 American Institute of Physics.