| US 7,550,381 B2 | ||
| Contact clean by remote plasma and repair of silicide surface | ||
| Xinliang Lu, Fremont, Calif. (US); Chien-Teh Kao, Sunnyvale, Calif. (US); Chiukin Steve Lai, Sunnyvale, Calif. (US); and Mei Chang, Saratoga, Calif. (US) | ||
| Assigned to Applied Materials, Inc., Santa Clara, Calif. (US) | ||
| Filed on Jul. 18, 2005, as Appl. No. 11/183,999. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2007/0015360 A1, Jan. 18, 2007 | ||
| Int. Cl. H01L 21/44 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 438—655 [438/4; 438/742; 257/E21.582; 257/E21.483] | 14 Claims |
| 1. A method for forming a metal silicide, comprising:
positioning a substrate having an at least partially oxidized metal silicide surface disposed thereon in a processing chamber;
cleaning one or more oxidized regions of the at least partially oxidized metal silicide surface with reactive species to remove
the oxidized regions to provide an altered metal silicide surface; and
exposing the altered metal silicide surface to one or more silicon-containing compounds at conditions sufficient to recover
the metal silicide surface, wherein the one or more silicon-containing compounds and the reactive species are different, wherein
cleaning the one or more oxidized regions comprises:
supporting the substrate having the at least partially oxidized metal silicide surface disposed thereon in a vacuum chamber;
generating the reactive species from a gas mixture within the chamber;
cooling the substrate within the chamber;
directing the reactive species to the cooled substrate to react with the native oxides thereon and form a film on the at least
partially oxidized metal silicide surface; and
heating the substrate within the chamber to vaporize the film.
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