Atomic scale of ruthenium silicidation and diffusion behaviors by in-situ transmission electron microscope investigation
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Transition metal silicides possess high thermal stability and good electrical conductivity, making them widely used in various engineering fields. Ruthenium silicide, a narrow-bandgap semiconductor, combines low chemical reactivity with a high thermoelectric figure of merit, making it promising for optoelectronic and thermoelectric devices. Solid-state reaction provides a straightforward route to synthesize high-quality ruthenium silicide. To elucidate the formation mechanism, in-situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was employed to directly monitor the silicidation and diffusion processes. The silicidation initiates with crystallization of the amorphous Ru layer into a polycrystalline structure at 210 °C. Between 300 °C and 500 °C, Si diffusion into the Ru layer leads to the formation of RuSi and Ru 2 Si via a diffusion-controlled mechanism. At 700 °C, Ru 2 Si 3 forms through either diffusion-controlled or nucleation-controlled pathways. Through atomic-scale observation, this study provides the first comprehensive understanding of the silicidation behaviors and dynamic diffusion process of ruthenium, offering a complete reaction mechanism.
Language: English
Subfield: Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $1,640
Awards: G108086183, Developing Materials to Substitute for Noble Metals: Transition Metal Compounds for Catalysts, Sensors and Pollutant Treatment, Develop Industrially Applicable Three-Dimensional Metrology for Semiconductor Innovation( I ), G2194858316, Investigation of Defect Engineering and Structural Evolution in Atomic-Layered Two Dimensional Materials, G4501395533, G6287763764, Twisted Nano-Architectures Based on Freestanding Complex Oxides, Exploring Novel Materials Kinetics and Their Electron Transport Properties at Atomic Scale( II )
OpenAlex ID: W4416204855