Method to alter silicide properties using GCIB treatment

1. A method for forming a silicide contact surface on a substrate, comprising:

reacting a metal-containing layer with an underlying portion of a silicon-containing substrate to form a silicide region;

forming a dielectric layer over the silicide region;

performing a contact etch process to open a contact via through the dielectric layer to a contact surface of the silicide region;

irradiating said contact surface with a gas cluster ion beam (GCIB) to clean said contact surface, etch said contact surface, dope said contact surface, modify said contact surface, deposit material on said contact surface, or grow material on said contact surface, or any combination thereof; and

exposing said silicon-containing substrate to another GCIB prior to said reacting to enhance formation of said silicide region during said reacting.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

exposing said silicon-containing substrate to another GCIB after said reacting and prior to forming said dielectric layer to modify said silicide region.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said metal-containing layer comprises tungsten, tantalum, zirconium, titanium, hafnium, platinum, palladium, vanadium, niobium, cobalt, nickel, or any alloy thereof.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

generating said GCIB from a pressurized gas mixture that includes one or more gases containing elements selected from the group consisting of He, Ne, Ar, Kr, Xe, B, C, Si, Ge, N, P, As, O, S, F, and Cl.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said silicon-containing substrate comprises single crystal silicon, poly-crystalline silicon, silicon-germanium (SiGe), silicon carbide (SiC), or silicon-germanium-carbon (SiGeC), or any combination of two or more thereof.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein said silicon-containing substrate includes a gate structure formed thereon, and wherein said underlying portion of said silicon-containing substrate includes a source/drain region of said gate structure, wherein said exposing said silicon-containing substrate to another GCIB prior to said reacting increases silicon content at a surface of said source/drain region to enhance formation of said silicide region.

7. A method for cleaning material on a substrate, comprising:

providing a substrate having a dielectric layer over a silicide region;

forming an opening in said dielectric layer by exposing said dielectric layer to an etching process;

irradiating an exposed surface within said opening with a gas cluster ion beam (GCIB) to clean said exposed surface; and

exposing said substrate to another GCIB prior to forming said opening to enhance formation of said silicide region.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

exposing said substrate to another GCIB prior to forming said opening to modify said silicide region.

9. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

generating said GCIB from a pressurized gas mixture that includes one or more gases containing elements selected from the group consisting of He, Ne, Ar, Kr, Xe, B, C, Si, Ge, N, P, As, O, S, F, and Cl.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein said substrate comprises single crystal silicon, poly-crystalline silicon, silicon-germanium (SiGe), silicon carbide (SiC), or silicon-germanium-carbon (SiGeC), or any combination of two or more thereof.

11. The method of claim 7 , wherein said substrate includes a gate structure formed thereon, and wherein said silicide region includes a source/drain region of said gate structure.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

exposing said substrate to another GCIB prior to forming said opening to increase silicon content at a surface of said source/drain region to enhance formation of or to modify said silicide region.

13. A method for forming a silicide contact surface on a substrate, comprising:

reacting a metal-containing layer with an underlying portion of a silicon-containing substrate to form a silicide region;

forming a dielectric layer over the silicide region;

performing a contact etch process to open a contact via through the dielectric layer to a contact surface of the silicide region;

irradiating said contact surface with a gas cluster ion beam (GCIB) to clean said contact surface, etch said contact surface, dope said contact surface, modify said contact surface, deposit material on said contact surface, or grow material on said contact surface, or any combination thereof; and

exposing said silicon-containing substrate to another GCIB after said reacting and prior to forming said dielectric layer to modify said silicide region.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein said metal-containing layer comprises tungsten, tantalum, zirconium, titanium, hafnium, platinum, palladium, vanadium, niobium, cobalt, nickel, or any alloy thereof.

15. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

generating said GCIB from a pressurized gas mixture that includes one or more gases containing elements selected from the group consisting of He, Ne, Ar, Kr, Xe, B, C, Si, Ge, N, P, As, O, S, F, and Cl.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein said silicon-containing substrate comprises single crystal silicon, poly-crystalline silicon, silicon-germanium (SiGe), silicon carbide (SiC), or silicon-germanium-carbon (SiGeC), or any combination of two or more thereof.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein said silicon-containing substrate includes a gate structure formed thereon, and wherein said underlying portion of said silicon-containing substrate includes a source/drain region of said gate structure.