Formation of an amorphous Rh‐Si alloy by interfacial reaction between amorphous Si and crystalline Rh thin films

TLDR: In this paper, the formation of an amorphous rh-Si alloy film upon thermal annealing at 300 °C was observed, followed by the formation RhSi or a mixture of RhSi and Rh5Si3 around 400

Abstract: Interfacial reaction in bilayers of amorphous Si and crystalline Rh thin films has been studied by transmission electron diffraction and microscopy. In a bilayer of ∼190‐A amorphous Si and ∼60‐A polycrystalline Rh films, we have observed the formation of an amorphous Rh‐Si alloy film upon thermal annealing at 300 °C. The amorphous alloy film crystallizes into the RhSi phase at 400 °C. On the other hand, no amorphous alloy formation was observed upon annealing a bilayer of ∼150‐A amorphous Si and ∼100‐A polycrystalline Rh films; instead, they react at 300 °C to form Rh2Si, followed by the formation of RhSi or a mixture of RhSi and Rh5Si3 around 400 °C.