Fabrication method of semiconductor device using selective epitaxial growth

A fabrication method of a semiconductor device, comprising the steps of:

• (a) forming an isolation dielectric on a main surface of a single-crystal Si substrate of a first conductivity type, thereby defining an active region;
• (b) forming a basic transistor structure in said active region;
• said basic transistor structure including a gate insulator formed on said main surface of said substrate, a gate electrode formed on said gate insulator, first and second source/drain regions of a second conductivity type opposite to said first conductivity type formed in said substrate at each side of said gate electrode, and first and second dielectric sidewalls formed at each side of said gate electrode in contact with corresponding surfaces of said first and second source/drain regions and corresponding side faces of said gate electrode;
• (c) selectively growing single-crystal Si on uncovered surfaces of said first and second source/drain regions, thereby forming first and second single-crystal Si epitaxial layers on said first and second source/drain regions, respectively;
• (d) oxidizing surface areas of said first and second single-crystal Si epitaxial layers;
• (e) removing said oxidized surface areas of said first and second single-crystal Si epitaxial layers by etching;
• (f) forming a refractory metal layer in contacted with said first and second single-crystal Si epitaxial layers whose oxidized surface areas have been removed;
• (g) reacting said refractory metal layer with said first and second single-crystal Si epitaxial layers by heat treatment, thereby forming first and second refractory silicide layers on said first and second source/drain regions, respectively;
• said first and second refractory silicide layers having same functions as those of said first and second source/drain regions, respectively;
• and
• (h) removing said unreacted refractory metal layer, thereby constituting an IGFET with said basic transistor structure and said first and second refractory silicide layers.