Continuous and Collective Grain Rotation in Nanoscale Thin Films during Silicidation

Texture evolution is an important issue in materials and nanosciences. Understanding it is fundamental for controlling the final orientation, which in fine controls the desired properties of nanodevices. Here, we reveal the formation of a peculiar texture during the silicidation of nanoscale Pd thin films. We demonstrate that the crystallographic relationship observed between the silicide and the Si(001) substrate, named gyroaxy, evolves continuously and collectively during silicidation. This continuous rotation of the nanosized grains over a wide angular range is proposed to be associated with a diffusional mechanism.