Methods for forming metal layers in openings and apparatus for forming same

1. A method comprising:

forming an Inter-layer Dielectric (ILD) with a portion at a same level as a metal gate of a transistor, wherein the ILD and the metal gate are parts of a wafer;

etching the ILD to form a first contact opening, wherein a source/drain region of the transistor is exposed through the first contact opening;

placing the wafer into a Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) tool, wherein a metal target is in the PVD tool, and the metal target has a first spacing from a magnet over the metal target, and a second spacing from the wafer, and a ratio of the first spacing to the second spacing is greater than about 0.02;

depositing a metal layer on the wafer, wherein the metal layer comprises a bottom portion in the first contact opening, and a sidewall portion in the first contact opening;

performing an anneal to react the bottom portion of the metal layer with the source/drain region to form a silicide region; and

forming a contact spacer in the first contact opening, wherein the contact spacer encircles a portion of the metal layer.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising increasing the first spacing to adjust the ratio from smaller than 0.02 to greater than about 0.02.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ratio is in a range between about 0.02 and about 0.03.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

forming a first gate spacer and a second gate spacer on opposite sides of the metal gate, wherein the contact spacer, the first gate spacer, and the second gate spacer are separate spacers.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising forming a capping layer over the metal layer, wherein the anneal is performed with the capping layer covering the metal layer.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metal layer has a sidewall portion having a first thickness, and the silicide region has a second thickness, and a ratio of the first thickness to the second thickness is smaller than about 0.35.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first contact opening has a width smaller than about 40 nm, and the silicide region has a thickness greater than about 9 nm.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

etching the ILD and a mask layer over the metal gate to form a second contact opening; and

forming a gate contact plug and an additional contact spacer in the second contact opening, wherein the additional contact spacer encircles the gate contact plug.

9. A method comprising:

forming an Inter-layer Dielectric (ILD) with a portion at a same level as a metal gate of a transistor, wherein the ILD and the metal gate are parts of a wafer;

etching the ILD to form a source/drain contact opening, wherein a source/drain region of the transistor is exposed through the source/drain contact opening;

depositing a first titanium layer on the wafer, wherein the first titanium layer comprises a bottom portion in the source/drain contact opening, and a sidewall portion in the source/drain contact opening, wherein the sidewall portion has a first thickness, wherein the first titanium layer is deposited through Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) in a first PVD chamber, wherein a first metal target is in the first PVD chamber, and the first metal target has a first spacing from a first magnet over the first metal target, and a second spacing from the wafer, and a ratio of the first spacing to the second spacing is greater than about 0.02;

performing an anneal to react the bottom portion of the first titanium layer with the source/drain region to form a silicide region, wherein the silicide region has a second thickness, and a ratio of the first thickness to the second thickness is smaller than about 0.35;

forming a dielectric layer over the ILD;

etching the dielectric layer to form an additional contact opening; and

depositing a second titanium layer on the wafer, wherein the second titanium layer extends into the additional contact opening, wherein the second titanium layer is deposited in a second PVD chamber, wherein a second metal target is in the second PVD chamber, and the second metal target has a third spacing from a second magnet over the second metal target, and a fourth spacing from the wafer, and a ratio of the third spacing to the fourth spacing is smaller than 0.02.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising forming a contact spacer in the source/drain contact opening, wherein the contact spacer encircles a portion of the first titanium layer.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the source/drain contact opening has a width smaller than about 40 nm, and the silicide region has a thickness greater than about 9 nm.

12. The method of claim 9 further comprising forming a capping layer over the first titanium layer, wherein the anneal is performed with the capping layer covering the first titanium layer.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first titanium layer has a sidewall portion having a first thickness, and the silicide region has a second thickness, and a ratio of the first thickness to the second thickness is smaller than about 0.35.

14. A method comprising:

forming a gate spacer on a metal gate of a transistor;

forming an Inter-layer Dielectric (ILD) with a portion at a same level as the metal gate, wherein the ILD and the metal gate are parts of a wafer;

etching the ILD to form a source/drain contact opening, wherein a source/drain region of the transistor is exposed through the source/drain contact opening;

forming a contact spacer in the source/drain contact opening;

adjusting a Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) tool, wherein a metal target is in the PVD tool, and the metal target has a first spacing from a magnet over the metal target, and wherein the adjusting the PVD tool comprises increasing the first spacing; and

depositing a titanium layer on the wafer in the PVD tool, wherein the titanium layer extends into the source/drain contact opening.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the metal target has a second spacing from the wafer, and the first spacing is increased so that a ratio of the first spacing to the second spacing is increased from a value smaller than 0.02 to a value greater than about 0.02.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising performing an anneal to react a bottom portion of the titanium layer with the source/drain region to form a silicide region.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the source/drain contact opening has a width smaller than about 40 nm, and the silicide region has a thickness greater than about 9 nm.

18. The method of claim 14 further comprising forming a contact spacer in the source/drain contact opening, wherein the contact spacer encircles a portion of the titanium layer.

19. The method of claim 15 further comprising forming a gate spacer on a sidewall of the metal gate, wherein the gate spacer and the contact spacer are separated from each other by a portion of the ILD.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein a portion of the titanium layer is in the source/drain contact opening and is encircled by the contact spacer.