Method of forming silicide film

A method of forming a silicide film composed of refractory metal in a certain region of a semiconductor device on a semiconductor substrate, said method comprising;

• depositing a film composed of said refractory metal on both said semiconductor substrate and said semiconductor device;
• carrying out a first thermal annealing to said semiconductor substrate, said semiconductor device, and said refractory metal in a depressurized or diluted gas atmosphere containing nitrogen, the nitrogen gas containing atmosphere having a partial pressure smaller than an ambient atmospheric pressure to suppress nitrization of the refractory metal and reduce the number of nitrogen atoms to be diffused into the refractory metal;
• and
• carrying out a second thermal annealing to said semiconductor substrate, said semiconductor device, and said refractory metal in an argon gas atmosphere or vacuum atmosphere at a higher temperature than said first thermal annealing.

A method of forming a silicide film composed of refractory metal in a certain region of a semiconductor device on a semiconductor substrate, the method comprising:

• depositing a film having a thickness equal to or smaller than 30 nm and composed of the refractory metal on both the semiconductor substrate and the semiconductor device;
• thermally annealing the semiconductor substrate, the semiconductor device, and the refractory metal in a gas containing nitrogen, in a partial pressure smaller than an ambient atmospheric pressure to suppress nitrization of the refractory metal and reduce the number of nitrogen atoms to be diffused into the refractory metal;
• and
• thermally annealing the semiconductor substrate, the semiconductor device, and the refractory metal in an argon or vacuum atmosphere.