Method of forming a contact

A method of forming a contact on a silicon substrate comprising:

• forming a layer of insulating material over the silicon substrate;
• forming a contact opening having a bottom and a sidewall into the layer of insulating material on the substrate to open an access to an active region therein, the contact opening having an aspect ratio of greater than about 2:1;
• exposing at least the bottom of the contact opening to germane gas to react with and clean a layer of native silicon dioxide from the bottom of the contact opening and to form a layer of germanium over the contact opening;
• depositing a layer of titanium over the layer of germanium;
• annealing the contact opening in an atmosphere of nitrogen gas to form a layer of titanium germanosilicide at the bottom of the contact opening, a layer of titanium germanide at the sides of the contact opening, and an layer of titanium nitride over the layer of gemanosilicide;
• and
• depositing a metal into the remainder of the contact opening.

A method of forming a contact on a silicon substrate comprising:

• forming a layer of insulating material on the silicon substrate, the silicon substrate having an active area therein;
• forming a contact opening having a bottom and a sidewall through the layer of insulating material on the substrate to open an access to the active region, the contact opening having an aspect ratio of greater than about 2:1;
• exposing at least the bottom of the contact opening to germane gas to react with and remove a layer of native silicon dioxide from the bottom of the contact opening, and to form a layer of germanium over the contact opening;
• depositing a layer of refractory metal over the layer of germanium;
• annealing the silicon substrate in an atmosphere of nitrogen gas to form a layer of refractory metal geimanosilicide at the bottom of the contact opening, a layer of refractory metal gelmanide at the sides of the contact opening, and an layer of refractory metal nitride over the layer of refractory metal gemanosilicide;
• and
• substantially filling the contact opening with a conductive material.

A method of forming a contact on a substrate comprising:

• forming a layer of insulating material over the substrate having therein an active region;
• forming a contact opening into the layer of insulating material on the substrate to open an access to the active region;
• and
• exposing a layer of native silicon dioxide on the substrate over the active area to germane gas so as to react with and remove the layer of native silicon dioxide from the substrate and so as to deposit a layer of germanium having a thickness in the range of between approximately 30 to 300 Angstroms on the substrate.

A method of forming a contact on a substrate comprising:

• forming a layer of insulating material over the substrate having therein an active region;
• forming a contact opening into the layer of insulating material on the substrate to open an access to the active region;
• exposing a layer of native silicon dioxide on the substrate over the active area to germane gas so as to react with and remove the layer of native silicon dioxide from the substrate and so as to deposit a layer of germanium having a thickness on the substrate;
• depositing a layer of a titanium over the layer of germanium wherein the thickness of the layer of titanium is substantially the same as that of the layer of germanium.

A method of forming a contact structure to a contact on a layer of silicon, the method comprising:

• forming a contact opening in a layer of an electrically insulative material situated upon the layer of silicon, the contact opening having a bottom, a sidewall, and terminating at a contact on an active region within the silicon;
• forming refractory metal germanosilicide at the bottom of the contact opening;
• forming refractory metal germanide on the sidewall of the contact opening;
• forming a diffusion barrier within the contact opening upon the refractory metal germanosilicide and the refractory metal germanide;
• forming an electrically conductive material within the contact opening upon the diffusion barrier.

A method of forming a structure having a contact situated upon silicon, the contact being at the bottom of a contact opening having a sidewall that extends through a layer of a second material that is situated upon the silicon, the method comprising:

• forming refractory metal germanosilicide at the contact;
• forming refractory metal germanide on the sidewall;
• forming refractory metal nitride within the contact opening upon the refractory metal germanosilicide and the refractory metal germanide;
• forming a third material within the contact opening upon the refractory metal nitride.