摘要:
A self-aligned silicide process that can accommodate a low thermal budget and form silicide regions (64, 66) of small dimensions in a controlled reaction. In a first temperature treatment, nickel metal or nickel alloy (52) is reacted with a silicon material (46) to form at least one high resistance nickel silicide region (56, 58). Unreacted nickel (54) is removed. A dielectric layer (60) is then deposited over the high resistance nickel silicide regions (56, 58). In a second temperature treatment, the at least one high resistance nickel silicide regions (56, 58) and dielectric (60) are reacted at a prescribed temperature to form at least one low resistance silicideregion (64, 66) and process the dielectri c layer (60). Bridging between regions is avoided by the two-step process as silicide growth is controlled, and unreacted nickel (54) between silicide region (56, 58) is removed after the first temperature treatment. The processing of the high resistance nickel silicide regions (56, 58) and the dielectric layer (60) are conveniently combined into a single temperature treatment. In other embodiments, the second temperature treatment is performed prior to, and separate from, the depositing and processing of the dielectric layer (60).