A Simple Co Salicide Process Using Silicidation by N2/H2 RTA

Abstract

ABSTRACTFor Co salicide process, a TiN cap layer is widely used to prevent oxidation of Co layers during silicidation by RTA. In this study, N2/H2 mixture ambient is used to eliminate the need for the TiN cap layer. The sheet resistance for the sample fabricated by N2 RTA without TiN cap layer shows large standard deviations for narrow N+ diffusion layers and shows 20% higher values and large standard deviations for P+ diffusion layers. On the other hand, the samples with N2/H2 RTA provides the same low and stable sheet resistance as those of the samples with TiN cap layer. XPS analysis shows that N2/H2 RTA suppresses oxidation of Co during the 1st RTA because of reduction by H2. B impurity in PMOS regions is known to retard silicidation of Co at 500°C. The retardation of silicidation seems to enhance oxidation of Co in PMOS regions by residual oxygen in the RTA chamber.