Abstract
Titanium thin films were deposited on crystalline silicon substrates by DC magnetron sputtering and annealed by rapid thermal processing under vacuum and nitrogen environments. X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, and four-point probe measurements were used to evaluate phase formation and electrical properties. Annealing at 600 °C for 5 min in 10−3 Pa high vacuum produces the C54-TiSi2 phase, reducing sheet resistance from 56 Ω/sq to 1.94 Ω/sq. Lowering the synthesis temperature from 923 K to 873 K decreases radiative energy consumption by approximately 20%. In contrast, annealing in N2 atmosphere yields Ti5Si4 and TiN instead of TiSi2. A combined thermodynamic and diffusion model explains the observed phase selectivity under vacuum and nitrogen environments.