Blue-gray, very hard solid. Insoluble in water; attacked by fused
alkalies and mixture of nitric and hydrofluoric acids.
Oxidation-resistant coatings, electrical resistance
and refractory applications.
Tungsten silicide is used in microelectronics as a contact material. It is also used as a shunt over polysilicon lines to increase their conductivity and increase signal speed. Further, it acts as a barrier layer between silicon and other metals. In addition to this, it is used in microelectro mechanical systems and for oxidation-resistant coatings. It is also employed as a replacement for earlier tungsten films.
