Selective Heating of Transition Metal Usings Hydrogen Plasma and Its Application to Formation of Nickel Silicide Electrodes for Silicon Ultralarge-Scale Integration Devices
We developed an apparatus for producing
high-density hydrogen plasma. The atomic hydrogen density was 3.1 × 1021 m?3 at
a pressure of 30 Pa, a microwave power of 1000 W, and a hydrogen gas flow rate
of 10 sccm. We confirmed that the temperatures of transition-metal films
increased to above 800。C within 5 s when they were exposed to hydrogen plasma
formed using the apparatus. We applied this phenomenon to the selective heat
treatment of nickel films deposited on silicon wafers and formed nickel
silicide electrodes. We found that this heat phenomenon automatically stopped
after the nickel slicidation reaction finished. To utilize this method, we can
perform the nickel silicidation process without heating the other areas such as
channel regions and improve the reliability of silicon ultralarge-scale
integration devices.
References
[1]
Iwai, H. and Ohmi, S. (2002) Silicon Integrated Circuit Technology from Past to Future. Microelectronics Reliability, 42, 465-491. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0026-2714(02)00032-X
[2]
Baeri, P., Grimaldi, M.G., Rimini, E. and Celotti, G. (1983) Pulsed Laser Irradiation of Nickel Thin Films on Silicon. Journal de Physique Colloques, 44, 449-454. http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/jphyscol:1983566
[3]
D’Anna, E., Leggieri, G. and Luches, A. (1998) Laser Synthesis of Metal Silicides. Applied Physics A, 45, 325-335.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF00617939
[4]
Bohac, V., D’Anna, E., Leggieri, G., Luby, S., Luches, A., Majkova, E. and Martino, M. (1993) Tungsten Silicide Formation by XeClExcimer-Laser Irradiation of W/Si Samples. Applied Physics A, 56, 391-396.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF00324361
[5]
Mozetic, M., Drobnic, M., Pregelj, A. and Zupan, K. (1996) Determination of Density of Hydrogen Atoms in the Ground State. Vacuum, 47, 943-945. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0042-207X(96)00098-X
[6]
Ricard, A., Gaillard, M., Monna, V., Vesel, A. and Mozetic, M. (2001) Excited Species in H2, N2, O2 Microwave Flowing Discharges and Post-Discharges. Surf. Coat. Technol., 142-144, 333-336.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0257-8972(01)01276-2
[7]
Mozetic, M., Vesel, A., Monna, V. and Ricard, A. (2003) H Density in a Hydrogen Plasma Post-Glow Reactor. Vacuum, 71, 201-205. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0042-207X(02)00737-6
[8]
Mozetic, M. and Vesel, A. (2005) Density of Neutral Hydro-gen Atoms in a Microwave Hydrogen Plasma Reactor. Proceedings of the International Conference Nuclear Energy for New Europe 2005, Bled, 5-8 September 2005, 147.1- 147.6.
[9]
Cvelbara, U., Mozetic, M., Poberaj, I., Babic, D. and Ricard, A. (2005) Characterization of Hydrogen Plasma with a Fiber Optics Catalytic Probe. Thin Solid Films, 475, 12-16. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tsf.2004.08.047
[10]
Vesel, A., Drenik, A., Mozetic, M. and Balat-Pichelin, M. (2010) Hydrogen Atom Density in a Solar Plasma Reactor. Vacuum, 84, 969-974. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.vacuum.2010.01.032
[11]
Takamatsu, T. (2003) High Frequency Reaction Processing System. The International Publication No. WO 03/096769.
[12]
Tinani, M., Mueller, A., Gao, Y., Irene, E.A., Hu, Y.Z. and Tay, S.P. (2001) In Situ Real-Time Studies of Nickel Silicide Phase Formation. Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology B, 192, 376-383. http://dx.doi.org/10.1116/1.1347046
