The thermal stability of Cu/Ti(or Ta)/NiSi contacts was investigated. Ti(Ta)-capping layers deposited to form NiSi was utilized as the Cu diffusion barrier. Ti(Ta)/NiSi contacts was thermally stable upto $600^{circ}C$. However when Cu/Ti(Ta)/NiSi contacts were furnace-annealed at $300{sim}400^{circ}C$ for 40 min., the Cu diffusion was found to be effectively suppressed, but NiSi was dissociated and then Ni diffused into the Cu layer to form Cu-Ni solutions. On the other hand, the Ni diffusion did not occur for the Al/Ti/NiSi system. The thermal instability of Cu/Ti(Ta)/NiSi contacts was attributed to the high heat of solution of Ni in Cu.