Metal silicide, metal germanide, methods for making the same

Abstract

In one aspect, methods of silicidation and germanidation are provided. In some embodiments, methods for forming metal silicide can include forming a non-oxide interface, such as germanium or solid antimony, over exposed silicon regions of a substrate. Metal oxide is formed over the interface layer. Annealing and reducing causes metal from the metal oxide to react with the underlying silicon and form metal silicide. Additionally, metal germanide can be formed by reduction of metal oxide over germanium, whether or not any underlying silicon is also silicided. In other embodiments, nickel is deposited directly and an interface layer is not used. In another aspect, methods of depositing nickel thin films by vapor phase deposition processes are provided. In some embodiments, nickel thin films are deposited by ALD.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A method for depositing an elemental cobalt thin film, the method comprising:
 providing a substrate comprising an interface layer directly over a silicon surface;   carrying out one or more deposition cycles at a growth temperature of less than about 400° C., the deposition cycle comprising:
 contacting the substrate with a first vapor phase metal precursor comprising cobalt; 
 removing excess first vapor phase metal precursor from the reaction space; and 
 contacting the substrate with a second vapor phase reactant such that it reacts with the first vapor phase metal precursor to form elemental Co on the interface layer. 
   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the metal precursor is a metal compound in which the metal is bound or coordinated to oxygen, nitrogen, carbon or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the metal precursor is an organic compound. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the metal precursor is a betadiketonate, betadiketiminato compounds, amidinate compounds, aminoalkoxide, ketoiminate or cyclopentadienyl compound. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the metal precursor is a cyclopentadienyl cobalt compound. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the metal precursor is a compound with the formula X(acac) y , where X is cobalt and y is between 2 and 3. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the metal precursor is a compound with the formula X(thd) y , where X is cobalt, y is between 2 and 3 and thd is 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-3,5-heptanedionato. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the method is an atomic layer deposition (ALD) method. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the ALD method comprises alternately and sequentially contacting the substrate with the first vapor phase metal precursor and the second reactant. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the method is a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the growth temperature is less than about 200° C. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the interface layer is an elemental film. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the interface layer comprises germanium. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the interface layer has a thickness of between 1 nm and 5 nm. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the interface layer comprises an electrical dopant layer. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the electrical dopant layer comprises antimony. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 2 , additionally comprising annealing the substrate to form a silicide layer. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the interface layer does not form a silicide. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein a thin film comprising a dopant is subsequently deposited over the elemental cobalt thin film. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the dopant is a metal. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the dopant is platinum. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 20 , additionally comprising annealing the substrate to form a doped silicide layer. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the dopant content in the doped silicide layer as a percentage of the overall metal content is about 0-10%.