Selective contact on source and drain
Disclosed are devices that include a contact for electrical connection with a source/drain. The contact occupies a full width of a contact well other than areas occupied by sidewall spacers. As a result, high resistivity (due to the presence of liners and nucleation layers within the contact well in conventional devices) is reduced or eliminated.
1. A device, comprising:
a source/drain (S/D) formed in a substrate;
a silicide formed in the substrate, the silicide being above and electrically coupled with the S/D;
a nucleation layer formed in the substrate, the nucleation layer being above and electrically coupled with the silicide;
a dielectric formed on an upper surface of the substrate, the dielectric having a contact well that exposes an upper surface of the nucleation layer;
sidewall spacers formed on sides of the dielectric defining the contact well; and
a contact formed within the contact well, the contact being in direct contact with the sidewall spacers and electrically coupled with the silicide.
2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the silicide and the nucleation layer are entirely within the substrate.
3. The device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a liner layer formed in the substrate, the liner layer being between the silicide and the nucleation layer.
4. The device of claim 3 ,
wherein the silicide is in direct contact with the S/D, or
wherein the contact is in direct contact with the nucleation layer, or
wherein the liner layer is in direct contact with one or both of the silicide and the nucleation layer, or
any combination thereof.
5. The device of claim 4 ,
wherein the silicide is ‘U’ shaped comprising side portions and a lower portion, upper surfaces of the side portions being coplanar with the upper surface of the substrate, and an upper surface of the lower portion being below the upper surface of the substrate, and
wherein the liner layer is in direct contact with the silicide.
6. The device of claim 5 ,
wherein the liner layer is ‘U’ shaped conformal to a shape of the silicide, the liner layer comprising side portions and a lower portion, and
wherein
outer surfaces of the side portions of the liner layer are in direct contact with inner surfaces of the side portions of the silicide, or
a lower surface of the lower portion of the liner layer is in direct contact with the upper surface of the lower portion of the silicide, or
both.
7. The device of claim 6 ,
wherein the nucleation layer is ‘U’ shaped conformal to a shape of the liner layer, the nucleation layer comprising side portions and a lower portion, and
wherein
outer surfaces of the side portions of the nucleation layer are in direct contact with inner surfaces of the side portions of the liner layer, or
a lower surface of the lower portion of the nucleation layer is in direct contact with the upper surface of the lower portion of the liner layer, or
both.
8. The device of claim 1 , wherein the contact extends to below the upper surface of the substrate to be in direct contact with the nucleation layer.
9. The device of claim 1 ,
wherein the silicide is in direct contact with the S/D, or
wherein the contact is in direct contact with the nucleation layer, or
wherein the silicide and the nucleation layer are in direct contact with each other, or
any combination thereof.
10. The device of claim 9 ,
wherein the silicide is ‘U’ shaped comprising side portions and a lower portion, upper surfaces of the side portions being coplanar with the upper surface of the substrate, and an upper surface of the lower portion being below the upper surface of the substrate, and
wherein the nucleation layer is in direct contact with the silicide.
11. The device of claim 10 ,
wherein the nucleation layer is ‘U’ shaped conformal to a shape of the silicide, the nucleation layer comprising side portions and a lower portion, and
wherein
outer surfaces of the side portions of the nucleation layer are in direct contact with inner surfaces of the side portions of the silicide, or
a lower surface of the lower portion of the nucleation layer is in direct contact with the upper surface of the lower portion of the silicide, or
both.
12. The device of claim 11 , upper surfaces of the side portions of the nucleation layer are coplanar with the upper surface of the substrate.
13. The device of claim 1 , wherein the S/D is an epitaxial S/D.
14. The device of claim 1 , wherein the silicide is titanium silicide (TiSi).
15. The device of claim 1 , wherein the nucleation layer is formed from any one or more of tungsten (W), cobalt (Co), ruthenium (Ru), nickel (Ni), and niobium (Nb).
16. The device of claim 1 , wherein the contact is formed from tungsten (W).
17. The device of claim 1 , wherein the device is incorporated into an apparatus selected from the group consisting of a music player, a video player, an entertainment unit, a navigation device, a communications device, a mobile device, a mobile phone, a smartphone, a personal digital assistant, a fixed location terminal, a tablet computer, a computer, a wearable device, an Internet of things (IoT) device, a laptop computer, a server, and a device in an automotive vehicle.
18. A method of fabricating a device, the method comprising:
forming a source/drain (S/D) in a substrate;
forming a silicide in the substrate, the silicide being above and electrically coupled with the S/D;
forming a nucleation layer in the substrate, the nucleation layer being above and electrically coupled with the silicide;
forming a dielectric on an upper surface of the substrate, the dielectric having a contact well that exposes an upper surface of the nucleation layer;
forming sidewall spacers on sides of the dielectric defining the contact well; and
forming a contact within the contact well, the contact being in direct contact with the sidewall spacers and electrically coupled with the silicide.
19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the silicide and the nucleation layer are entirely within the substrate.
20. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:
forming a liner layer in the substrate, the liner layer being between the silicide and the nucleation layer.
21. The method of claim 20 , wherein forming the nucleation layer and forming the liner layer comprise:
applying a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) on a spacer formed on upper surfaces and on side surfaces of the dielectric within the contact well;
selectively depositing the liner layer on the silicide;
selectively depositing the nucleation layer on the liner layer; and
removing the SAM.
22. The method of claim 21 ,
wherein the silicide is ‘U’ shaped comprising side portions and a lower portion, upper surfaces of the side portions being coplanar with the upper surface of the substrate, and an upper surface of the lower portion being below the upper surface of the substrate, and
wherein the liner layer is in direct contact with the silicide.
23. The method of claim 22 ,
wherein the liner layer is ‘U’ shaped conformal to a shape of the silicide, the liner layer comprising side portions and a lower portion, and
wherein
outer surfaces of the side portions of the liner layer are in direct contact with inner surfaces of the side portions of the silicide, or
a lower surface of the lower portion of the liner layer is in direct contact with the upper surface of the lower portion of the silicide, or
both.
24. The method of claim 23 ,
wherein the nucleation layer is ‘U’ shaped conformal to a shape of the liner layer, the nucleation layer comprising side portions and a lower portion, and
wherein
outer surfaces of the side portions of the nucleation layer are in direct contact with inner surfaces of the side portions of the liner layer, or
a lower surface of the lower portion of the nucleation layer is in direct contact with the upper surface of the lower portion of the liner layer, or
both.
25. The method of claim 18 , wherein forming the nucleation layer comprises:
applying a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) on a spacer formed on upper surfaces and on side surfaces of the dielectric within the contact well;
selectively depositing the nucleation layer on the silicide; and
removing the SAM.
26. The method of claim 25 ,
wherein the silicide is ‘U’ shaped comprising side portions and a lower portion, upper surfaces of the side portions being coplanar with the upper surface of the substrate, and an upper surface of the lower portion being below the upper surface of the substrate, and
wherein the nucleation layer is in direct contact with the silicide.
27. The method of claim 26 ,
wherein the nucleation layer is ‘U’ shaped conformal to a shape of the silicide, the nucleation layer comprising side portions and a lower portion, and
wherein
outer surfaces of the side portions of the nucleation layer are in direct contact with inner surfaces of the side portions of the silicide, or
a lower surface of the lower portion of the nucleation layer is in direct contact with the upper surface of the lower portion of the silicide, or
both.
28. The method of claim 27 , upper surfaces of the side portions of the nucleation layer are coplanar with the upper surface of the substrate.
29. The method of claim 18 , wherein forming the contact comprises forming the contact through atomic layer deposition.