Patent · US Active

Contact clean by remote plasma and repair of silicide surface

US9147578B2 · kind B2 · utility

0Cited by
28References
23Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJan 11, 2011
Grant dateSep 29, 2015
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 20, 2033

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S438/906
  • WIPO fieldSemiconductors
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

Embodiments provide methods for treating a metal silicide contact which includes positioning a substrate having an oxide layer disposed on a metal silicide contact surface within a processing chamber, cleaning the metal silicide contact surface to remove the oxide layer while forming a cleaned silicide contact surface during a cleaning process, and exposing the cleaned silicide contact surface to a silicon-containing compound to form a recovered silicide contact surface during a regeneration process. In some examples, the cleaning of the metal silicide contact surface includes cooling the substrate to an initial temperature of less than 65° C., forming reactive species from a gas mixture of ammonia and nitrogen trifluoride by igniting a plasma, exposing the oxide layer to the reactive species to form a thin film, and heating the substrate to about 100° C. or greater to remove the thin film from the substrate while forming the cleaned silicide contact surface.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.