Chromium disilicide layers were formed by ion bombardment through a Cr layer into Si at room temperature. It was found that the thickness of the silicide formed under the Cr layer was similar for hydrogenated amorphous Si, laser crystallized Si, and crystalline Si substrates. The growth was consistent with a radiation-enhanced diffusion mechanism in which the rate limiting process was the diffusion of Si or Cr through the silicide. It was found that the amount of Cr in the silicide and its thickness were proportional to the square root of the total amount of energy dissipated by the ion beam at the interface between the Cr and the substrate.

Growth of CrSi2 by Radiation Enhanced Diffusion at Room Temperature. J.M.Shannon, J.D.Hoyland, E.G.Gerstner: Journal of Applied Physics, 2002, 92[9], 5068-71