[en] The effect of RF sputter etching and ion milling on the (111) surface of silicon is studied by Rutherford backscattering analysis with 1.5-2MeV He⁺ beam. In all cases, three phenomena are observed: argon trapping, silicon amorphization and metallic impurities incorporation. The experimental results are discussed and compared with the previously published models

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[en] Silicon-metal systems are highly susceptible to solid-solid reactions which modify their electrical and mechanical properties. Although many works are dealing with silicide formation, the molybdenum-silicon system has not yet been investigated in detail to our knowledge. In this paper we present a He⁺ ion backscattering study of the molybdenum-silicide formation by interaction of a thin molybdenum layer and a silicon <111> wafer. The silicide phases Mo₃Si and MoSi₂ have been identified by x-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. Surface transformations were observed by scanning electron microscopy. For an 800-A Mo layer sputter deposited on silicon, we have found a time-square growth rate for MoSi₂ with an average activation energy of 2.4 eV in the temperature range 475--550 ⁰C. The fundamental roles of the cleaning of the silicon surface, of the substrate temperature during sputtering, and of the stresses in the layer are pointed out