Electrical transport properties of CoSi2 and NiSi2 thin films

Abstract

Transport studies have been performed on thin films of CoSi2 and NiSi2 in the temperature range 1–300 K. The conductivities are metallic with essentially the same temperature dependence; however, the residual resistivities are markedly different even though the two silicides are structurally similar (the room-temperature resistivity of NiSi2 being at least twice that of CoSi2 of 15 μΩ cm). The difference is attributed to intrinsic defects in NiSi2. This defect has been simulated by ion bombardment of the film where it is also shown that Matthiessen’s rule is obeyed over a remarkable range of bombardment doses.