Abstract: A method for the deposition of a silicide layer of a high melting metal onto a substrate of silicon or silicon dioxide wherein reaction gases consisting of a decomposable silicon-containing hydrogen compound, or a halogenated silane and a metal halide are pyrolytically decomposed in a reaction zone to form a reaction mixture from which a metal silicide is deposited on the substrate at reduced pressures. During the decomposition of the gases and deposition of the metal silicide, the gas pressure in the reaction zone is maintained between 1.3.times.10.sup.-3 to 5.times.10.sup.-2 mbar. This type of pressure is most conveniently maintained by means of a turbomolecular pump.

Abstract: Structured layers composed of high melting point metal silicides, such as tantalum silicide, are selectively deposited on substrates having at least some silicon and some non-silicon regions, such as are used in thin-film and semiconductor technology, by thermal decomposition of gaseous silicon and halogen compounds containing a high melting point metal in a reaction gas and depositing the metal silicide onto the silicon regions of the substrates while providing a gaseous hydrogen halide, such as hydrogen chloride, to the reaction gas and adjusting the substrate deposition temperature and the composition of the reaction gas to values at which a silicide nucleation in substrate regions, other than silicon regions, is suppressed during deposition of the metal silicide from the gaseous phase due to the presence of the hydrogen halide. The invention is useful for producing contact track levels in VLSI circuits.