Formation of silicide thin films by solid state reaction

Because of the practical interest of silicides, the M-Si thin film reaction has been thoroughly investigated over the last two decades. This allows a systematic analysis of M-Si reactions and suggests that observations on thin film reactions may in some respects differ from those on bulk reactions: sequential appearance of phases, absence of certain phases, very rapid kinetics of formation. The scope of this paper is to review the existing knowledge, to describe the thin films "peculiarities" and to tentatively explain them taking into account the specificities of reactive diffusion and the role of the experimental conditions encountered in M-Si thin film reactions (low temperature, high density of interfaces, small thicknesses). © 1993.