Direct growth of nickel disilicide nanocrystals in silicon dioxide films

Abstract

Nickel disilicide (NiS₂)nanocrystals (NCs) have been grown in silicon-rich oxide (SiOₓ)films ion implanted with nickel by annealing at 1100°C. It was found that NiS₂ NCs grew into well-defined single crystalline structures embedded in a SiOₓ matrix and were approximately spherical in shape. The size of NCs can be influenced by limiting either the Ni or excess Si concentration. It was found that the resulting NCs could be produced with diameters in the range from 5to40nm in the SiOₓ layers with excess Si concentrations of 4–8at.% implanted with Ni concentrations of 0.1–10at.%.