Process for fabricating a silicide layer in a semiconductor device

A process for fabricating a silicide layer in a semiconductor device comprising the steps of:

• providing substrate having a silicon surface;
• providing a transition-metal layer to overlie the silicon surface;
• providing a capping layer selected from the group consisting of boron nitride and boron oxynitride to overlie the transition-metal;
• subjecting the substrate to a first thermal annealing cycle to form a transition-metal/silicon alloy;
• removing the boron nitride layer;
• and
• subjecting the substrate to a second thermal annealing cycle to form the transition-metal silicide.

A process for fabricating a silicide layer in a semiconductor device comprising the steps of:

• providing substrate having a silicon surface;
• providing a transition-metal layer to overlie the silicon surface;
• depositing boron oxynitride by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition at a temperature of 200.degree. to 500.degree. C.;
• and
• reacting components of the transition-metal layer with the silicon surface to form a transition-metal silicide layer.

A process for fabricating a silicide layer in a semiconductor device comprising the steps of:

• providing substrate having a silicon surface;
• providing a transition-metal layer to overlie the silicon surface;
• providing a capping layer selected from the group consisting of boron nitride and boron oxynitride to overlie the transition-metal;
• reacting components of the transition-metal layer with the silicon surface to form a transition-metal silicide layer;
• and
• removing the capping layer in a wet etch solution, the solution having components selected from the group consisting of sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide, or ammonium hydroxide and hydrogen peroxide.

A process for fabricating a silicide layer in a semiconductor device comprising the steps of:

• providing substrate having a silicon surface, a transition-metal layer overlying the silicon surface, and a capping layer selected from the group consisting of boron nitride and boron oxynitride overlying the transition-metal,
• wherein an interface resides between the transition-metal and the silicon surface;
• subjecting the substrate to a thermal process in a gas ambient, wherein a finite amount of oxygen is present;
• and
• forming a transition-metal silicide at the interface, wherein diffusion of oxygen to the interface is prevented, and
• wherein the capping layer is exposed to the ambient during formation of the silicide layer.

A process for fabricating a silicide layer in a semiconductor device comprising the steps of:

• providing substrate having a silicon surface, a transition-metal layer overlying the silicon surface, and a capping layer selected from the group consisting of boron nitride and boron oxynitride overlying the transition-metal,
• wherein an interface resides between the transition-metal and the silicon surface;
• subjecting the substrate to a thermal process,
• wherein the thermal process comprises rapid thermal annealing in an inert ambient, and
• wherein a finite amount of oxygen is present;
• and
• forming a transition-metal silicide at the interface, wherein diffusion of oxygen to the interface is prevented.

A process for fabricating a silicide layer in a semiconductor device comprising the steps of:

• providing a substrate having a silicon surface;
• depositing a transition-metal layer to overlie the silicon surface;
• depositing a capping layer selected from the group consisting of boron nitride and boron oxynitride to overlie the transition-metal;
• annealing the substrate in an inert gas ambient to substantially convert the transition-metal to a transition-metal/silicon alloy;
• etching away the capping layer;
• and
• annealing the transition-metal/silicon alloy to form a transition-metal silicide layer.