Swift heavy ion beam mixing at V/Si interface

Vanadium silicides are of increasing interest because of applications in high temperature superconductivity and in microelectronics as contact materials due to their good electrical conductivity. In the present work ion beam induced mixing at Si/V/Si interface has been investigated using 120 MeV Au ions at 1 × 10¹³ to 1 × 10¹⁴ ions/cm² fluence at room temperature. V/Si interface was characterized by Grazing Incidence X-Ray Diffraction (GIXRD), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry (RBS) and Cross-sectional Transmission Electron Microscopy (XTEM) techniques before and after irradiation. It was found that the atomic mixing width increases with ion fluence. GIXRD and RBS investigations confirm the formation of V₆Si₅ silicide phase at the interface at the highest ion irradiation dose.