IP Library Granted Patent US 7,879,722
Granted Patent B2
US 7,879,722 · App. 11/790,747 · Granted Feb 1, 2011

Semiconductor device and method of manufacturing the same

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,879,722
App. No.
11/790,747
Granted
Feb 1, 2011
Kind
B2
Abstract

A semiconductor device includes a silicon substrate, and a NiSi layer provided on the silicon substrate aiming to suppress oxidation of the surface of a NiSi layer and the resistivity increase. The NiSi layer includes a bottom NiSi region and a top NiSi region. The bottom NiSi region provided in contact with silicon surface, and containing substantially no nitrogen. The top NiSi region is a nitrided NiSi region provided in contact with the bottom NiSi region, and containing nitrogen. The NiSi layer has a total thickness of 50 nm or below.

Claims (26)

1. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising forming a NiSi layer on a silicon substrate,

wherein said forming a NiSi layer comprises:

a first step forming a Ni film on the silicon of said substrate;

a second step forming a metal nitride film on said Ni film, the second step includes forming a first layer adjacent to said Ni film and forming a second layer adjacent to said first layer, said first layer has a first nitrogen concentration greater than a second nitrogen concentration said second layer;

a third step annealing said silicon substrate having said metal nitride film provided thereon at a first temperature not lower than 200° C. and not higher than 350° C., so as to react nickel in said Ni film and silicon in said silicon substrate, to thereby form a Ni 2 Si layer on said silicon of said substrate, and to thereby introduce nitrogen into said Ni 2 Si layer in the region thereof ranging from the surface to a predetermined depth;

a fourth step, after said third step, selectively removing an unreacted portion of said Ni film; and

a fifth step, after said fourth step, annealing said silicon substrate at a second temperature different from said first temperature, so as to form, said NiSi layer which comprises a first region containing substantially no nitrogen, and a second region in contact with the upper portion of said first region, and being nitrided,

wherein, in said first step, said Ni film formed on said silicon substrate has a thickness of 10 nm or below.

2. The method of manufacturing a semiconductor device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said forming said NiSi layer is a step of forming said NiSi layer having a total thickness of 50 nm or below.

3. The method of manufacturing a semiconductor device as claimed in claim 1 ,

wherein said forming said NiSi layer is a step of forming said NiSi layer having a total thickness of 5 nm or more,

and, in said fifth step, the second region having a thickness of not less than 1 nm and not more than 2 nm, is formed.

4. The method of manufacturing a semiconductor device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said third step is a step of annealing said silicon substrate at said first temperature for 1 second to 300 seconds, both ends inclusive.

5. The method of manufacturing a semiconductor device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein, in said second step, a high-nitrogen-concentration region having a nitrogen concentration of 80 at % or more, and a low-nitrogen-concentration region having a nitrogen concentration of 60 at % or less are formed as said metal nitride film, on said Ni film, in this order as viewed from the bottom.

6. The method of manufacturing a semiconductor device as claimed in claim 5 , wherein, in said second step, the high-nitrogen-concentration region having a thickness of 0.05 nm to 3 nm, both ends inclusive, is formed in contact with the upper portion of said Ni film.

7. The method of manufacturing a semiconductor device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said metal nitride film includes varied concentrations of nitrogen.

8. The method of manufacturing a semiconductor device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said first layer has a thickness less than a thickness of said second layer.

9. The method of manufacturing a semiconductor device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said forming a Ni 2 Si layer on said silicon of said substrate and said introducing nitrogen into said Ni 2 Si layer are performed simultaneously.

10. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising forming a NiSi layer on a silicon substrate,

wherein said forming a NiSi layer comprises:

a first step forming a Ni film on the silicon of said substrate;

a second step forming a metal nitride film on said Ni film;

a third step annealing said silicon substrate having said metal nitride film provided thereon at a first temperature not lower than 200° C. and not higher than 350° C., so as to react nickel in said Ni film and silicon in said silicon substrate, to thereby form a Ni 2 Si layer on said silicon of said substrate, and to thereby introduce nitrogen into said Ni 2 Si layer in the region thereof ranging from the surface to a predetermined depth;

a fourth step, after said third step, selectively removing an unreacted portion of said Ni film; and

a fifth step, after said fourth step, annealing said silicon substrate at a second temperature different from said first temperature, so as to form, said NiSi layer which comprises a first region containing substantially no nitrogen, and a second region in contact with the upper portion of said first region, and being nitrided,

wherein, in said first step, said Ni film formed on said silicon substrate has a thickness of 10 nm or below, and said forming a Ni 2 Si layer on said silicon of said substrate includes supplying nickel from said Ni film to said silicon at a rate slower than a rate of reaction between said nickel and said silicon.

Assignments (3)
CHANGE OF ADDRESS Recorded Nov 29, 2017
From: RENESAS ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
To: RENESAS ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 044928/0001 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Nov 4, 2010
From: NEC ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
To: RENESAS ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 025311/0869 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 27, 2007
From: MATSUDA, TOMOKO; IDE, TAKASHI; KIMURA, HIROSHI
To: NEC ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 019293/0320 →