Self-aligned ion implanted transition metal contact diffusion barrier apparatus

A field effect transistor (FET) comprising:

• a semiconductor member with source, gate and drain regions extending in from a surface thereof,
• a layer of a silicide of a first transition metal formed over said surface of the semiconductor material,
• an insulating layer over said layer of said silicide wherein said insulating layer has openings therein over said source, gate and drain regions;
• respective conductive contacts extending into each of said openings, and
• respective layers of contact diffusion barrier material interposed between each of said contacts and respective portions of said layer of silicide substantially only in the immediate vicinity of their respective openings wherein said barrier layer is set into said layer of silicide and the thickness of said layer of silicide lateral to said openings is substantially equal to the combined thickness of said layer of silicide and said barrier layer in the immediate vicinity of said openings, and said layer of barrier material is formed by implanting a second transition metal into said layer of silicide.