Method of manufacture of semiconductor device

A method of manufacture of a semiconductor device comprising the steps of:

• forming a gate electrode containing silicon above the surface of a semiconductor substrate containing silicon;
• forming a sidewall insulating film on the sidewall of the gate electrode;
• depositing a film of metal on the semiconductor substrate to cover the gate electrode and the sidewall insulating film;
• forming a first metal silicide film on portions where the metal is in contact with the semiconductor substrate and a portion where the metal is in contact with the gate electrode by causing the metal to react with silicon contained in the semiconductor substrate and the gate electrode, the first metal silicide film being such that the content ratio of the metal to silicon is larger than 1 but not larger than 2;
• removing unreacted metal;
• and
• transforming the first metal silicide film into a second metal silicide film by causing the first metal silicide film to react with silicon contained in the semiconductor substrate and the gate electrode, the second metal silicide film being such that the content ratio of the metal to silicon is smaller than that in the first metal silicide film.

A semiconductor device comprising:

• a semiconductor device containing silicon;
• source and drain regions formed in the semiconductor substrate;
• a gate electrode formed above a portion of the semiconductor substrate between the source and drain regions;
• a sidewall insulating film formed on the sidewall of the gate electrode;
• and
• a metal silicide film containing nickel and silicon and formed on the top of the gate electrode and the surface of the source and drain regions, the metal silicide film being such that the full width at half maximum of the X-ray diffraction peak assigned to its (111) plane is 1.5 to 3°.