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US 8,187,971 B2Granted
Method to alter silicide properties using GCIB treatment
AssigneeTEL Epion Inc.
InventorsNoel Russell, John J. Hautala, John Gumpher
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device is described. The method comprises performing a gas cluster ion beam (GCIB) pre-treatment and/or post-treatment of at least a portion of a silicon-containing substrate during formation of a silicide region.
Claims21
A method for silicide formation on a substrate, comprising:
- depositing a metal-containing layer over at least a portion of a silicon-containing substrate;
- irradiating said portion of said silicon-containing substrate with a gas cluster ion beam (GCIB) following said depositing of said metal-containing layer;
- and
- reacting a portion of said metal-containing layer with said portion of said silicon-containing substrate to form a silicide region,
- wherein said reacting proceeds before, during or after said irradiating said portion of said silicon-containing substrate with said GCIB.
2 more elements
A method for silicide formation on a substrate, comprising:
- irradiating at least a portion of a substrate with a gas cluster ion beam (GCIB) to modify said portion of said substrate, wherein said portion of said substrate includes a SiGe region or a SiGeC region;
- depositing a metal-containing layer over said portion of said substrate preceding said irradiating with said GCIB or following said irradiating with said GCIB;
- reacting a portion of said metal-containing layer with said portion of said substrate to form a silicide region;
- and
- increasing a proportion of silicon in said SiGe or SiGeC region using an Si-containing GCIB selected from said GCIB or another GCIB, wherein said increasing said proportion of silicon precedes said depositing, precedes said reacting, or follows said reacting, or proceeds according to any combination thereof.
2 more elements
A silicidation process, comprising:
- preparing a substrate with a SiGeaCb region, wherein a is greater than 0, and b is greater than or equal to 0;
- and
- irradiating at least a portion of said SiGeaCb region with a gas cluster ion beam (GCIB) to form a silicon-rich sub-layer at a surface of said SiGeaCb region to a depth ranging from about 3 nm to about 30 nm, said silicon-rich sub-layer having the composition SiGecCd, wherein c is greater than or equal to 0 and less than a and 1, and wherein d is greater than or equal to 0 and less than b and 1.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.