Nickel silicide—silicon nitride adhesion through surface passivation
US6831008B2 · kind B2 · utility
3Cited by
5References
15Claims
0Family size
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 30, 2002 |
| Grant date | Dec 14, 2004 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 30, 2022 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH10D30/0212
- WIPO fieldSemiconductors
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A process for forming nickel silicide and silicon nitride structure in a semiconductor integrated circuit device is described. Good adhesion between the nickel silicide and the silicon nitride is accomplished by passivating the nickel suicide surface with nitrogen. The passivation may be performed by treating the nickel silicide surface with plasma activated nitrogen species. An alternative passivation method is to cover the nickel silicide with a film of metal nitride and heat the substrate to about 500° C. Another alternative method is to sputter deposit silicon nitride on top of nickel silicide.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.