Titanium silicide films were grown under roughing vacuum on single crystal silicon wafers using high power quartz‐halogen tungsten lamps to provide the thermal driving force. After processing for various time intervals, ranging from 5 to 25 s, the samples were characterized by measuring their sheet resistance. Major phases were detected with x‐ray diffractometry. Elemental composition and film thickness were measured using Rutherford backscattering and Auger electron spectroscopy. These techniques consistently indicated that silicide formation was completed after 10–12 seconds processing time. The quality of these films and its potential usefulness are evidenced by their low resistivity of 21 &mgr;&OHgr; cm.