Abstract: Provided are exemplary methods for forming a semiconductor devices incorporating silicide layers formed at temperatures below about 700° C., such as nickel silicides, that are formed after completion of a silicide blocking layer (SBL). The formation of the SBL tends to deactivate dopant species in the gate, lightly-doped drain and/or source/drain regions. The exemplary methods include a post-SBL activation anneal either in place of or in addition to the traditional post-implant activation anneal. The use of the post-SBL anneal produces CMOS transistors having properties that reflect reactivation of sufficient dopant to overcome the SBL process effects, while allowing the use of lower temperature silicides, including nickel silicides and, in particular, nickel silicides incorporating a minor portion of an alloying metal, such as tantalum, the exhibits reduced agglomeration and improved temperature stability.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device having a metal conducting layer is provided. A metal conducting layer pattern having the metal conducting layer is formed on a semiconductor substrate. A portion of the metal conducting layer is partially exposed on the semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor substrate having the metal conducting layer pattern is loaded into a reaction chamber. A first silicon source gas is flowed into the reaction chamber. A silicon oxide layer is formed on the semiconductor substrate having the metal conducting layer pattern by supplying a second silicon source gas and an oxygen source gas into the reaction chamber.

Abstract: The present invention includes a method of forming a metal gate electrode on which whiskers are not formed after performing a selective oxidation process and a subsequent heating process. The metal gate electrode is formed by forming a metal gate electrode pattern which is comprised of a polysilicon layer and a metal layer, and performing a selective oxidation process. After the selective oxidation process, the metal gate electrode undergoes a subsequent heating treatment. The selective oxidation process is carried out in a nitrogen containing gas ambient, so that a metal oxide layer is minimally formed on the metal layer. As a result, it is prevented from causing whiskers on the metal layer.

Abstract: A cobalt-containing film on a silicon-containing conductive region, and a titanium-rich capping layer is formed on cobalt-containing film. The atomic % ratio of titanium to other elements (if any) in the titanium-rich capping layer is more than one (1). The resultant structure is annealed so that cobalt of the cobalt-containing film and silicon of the silicon-containing conductive region react with each other to form a cobalt silicide film. When the formation of the cobalt-containing film is carried out at a high temperature, a diffusion restraint interface film is also formed.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a semiconductor device having a metal gate pattern is provided in which capping layers are used to control the relative oxidation rates of portions of the metal gate pattern during a oxidation process. The capping layer may be a multilayer structure and may be etched to form insulating spacers on the sidewalls of the metal gate pattern. The capping layer(s) allow the use of a selective oxidation process, which may be a wet oxidation process utilizing partial pressures of both H2O and H2 in an H2-rich atmosphere, to oxidize portions of the substrate and metal gate pattern while suppressing the oxidation of metal layers that may be included in the metal gate pattern. This allows etch damage to the silicon substrate and edges of the metal gate pattern to be reduced while substantially maintaining the original thickness of the gate insulating layer and the conductivity of the metal layer(s).

Abstract: A method for fabricating a semiconductor device is provided using a nickel salicide process. The method includes forming a gate pattern and a source/drain region on a silicon substrate, forming a Ni-based metal layer for silicide on the silicon substrate where the gate pattern and the source/drain region are formed, and forming an N-rich titanium nitride layer on the Ni-based metal layer for silicide. Next, a thermal treatment is applied to the silicon substrate where the Ni-based metal layer for silicide and the N-rich titanium nitride layer are formed, thereby forming a nickel silicide on each of the gate pattern and the source/drain region. Then, the Ni-based metal layer for silicide and the N-rich titanium nitride layer are selectively removed to expose a top portion of a nickel silicide layer formed on the gate pattern and the source/drain region.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a semiconductor device that includes dual spacers is provided. A nitrogen atmosphere may be created and maintained in a reaction chamber by supplying a nitrogen source gas. A silicon source gas and an oxygen source gas may then be supplied to the reaction chamber to deposit a silicon oxide layer on a semiconductor substrate, which may include a conductive material layer. A silicon nitride layer may then be formed on the silicon oxide layer by performing a general CVD process. Next, the silicon nitride layer may be etched until the silicon oxide layer is exposed. Because of the difference in etching selectivity between silicon nitride and silicon oxide, portions of the silicon nitride layer may remain on sidewalls of the conductive material layer. As a result, dual spacers formed of a silicon oxide layer and a silicon nitride layer may be formed on the sidewalls.

Abstract: Integrated circuit gates are fabricated by forming an insulated gate on an integrated circuit substrate, wherein the insulated gate includes a gate oxide on the integrated circuit substrate, a polysilicon pattern including polysilicon sidewalls, on the gate oxide, and a metal pattern on the polysilicon pattern. The insulated gate is pretreated with hydrogen and nitrogen gasses. The polysilicon sidewalls are then oxidized. The pretreating in hydrogen and nitrogen gasses prior to oxidizing can reduce growth in thickness of the gate oxide during the oxidizing and/or can reduce formation of whiskers on the metal pattern, compared to absence of the pretreatment.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device having a metal conducting layer is provided. A metal conducting layer pattern having the metal conducting layer is formed on a semiconductor substrate. A portion of the metal conducting layer is partially exposed on the semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor substrate having the metal conducting layer pattern is loaded into a reaction chamber. A first silicon source gas is flowed into the reaction chamber. A silicon oxide layer is formed on the semiconductor substrate having the metal conducting layer pattern by supplying a second silicon source gas and an oxygen source gas into the reaction chamber.

Abstract: A method of forming a T-shaped isolation layer, a method of forming an elevated salicide source/drain region using the same, and a semiconductor device having the T-shaped isolation layer are provided. In the method of forming the T-shaped isolation layer, an isolation layer having a narrow trench region in the lower portion thereof and a wide trench region in the upper portion thereof is formed on a semiconductor substrate. Also, in the method of forming the elevated salicide source/drain region, the method of forming the T-shaped isolation layer is used. In particular, conductive impurities can also be implanted into the lower portion of the wide trench region which constitutes the head of the T-shaped isolation layer and is extended to both sides from the upper end of the narrow trench region by controlling the depth of the wide trench region in an ion implantation step for forming the source/drain region.

Abstract: The present invention includes a method of forming a metal gate electrode on which whiskers are not formed after performing a selective oxidation process and a subsequent heating process. The metal gate electrode is formed by forming a metal gate electrode pattern which is comprised of a polysilicon layer and a metal layer, and performing a selective oxidation process. After the selective oxidation process, the metal gate electrode undergoes a subsequent heating treatment. The selective oxidation process is carried out in a nitrogen containing gas ambient, so that a metal oxide layer is minimally formed on the metal layer. As a result, it is prevented from causing whiskers on the metal layer.

Abstract: In a method of forming a metal gate electrode, an annealing process is performed in a hydrogen-containing gas ambient following a selective oxidation process. During the annealing process, a metal oxide layer formed by the selective oxidation process is removed by a reduction reaction or hydrogen atoms are contained in the metal oxide layer to suppress whisker nucleation and surface mobility.

Abstract: A method of forming a T-shaped isolation layer, a method of forming an elevated salicide source/drain region using the same, and a semiconductor device having the T-shaped isolation layer are provided. In the method of forming the T-shaped isolation layer, an isolation layer having a narrow trench region in the lower portion thereof and a wide trench region in the upper portion thereof is formed on a semiconductor substrate. Also, in the method of forming the elevated salicide source/drain region, the method of forming the T-shaped isolation layer is used. In particular, conductive impurities can also be implanted into the lower portion of the wide trench region which constitutes the head of the T-shaped isolation layer and is extended to both sides from the upper end of the narrow trench region by controlling the depth of the wide trench region in an ion implantation step for forming the source/drain region.

Abstract: A method of forming a T-shaped isolation layer, a method of forming an elevated salicide source/drain region using the same, and a semiconductor device having the T-shaped isolation layer are provided. In the method of forming the T-shaped isolation layer, an isolation layer having a narrow trench region in the lower portion thereof and a wide trench region in the upper portion thereof is formed on a semiconductor substrate. Also, in the method of forming the elevated salicide source/drain region, the method of forming the T-shaped isolation layer is used. In particular, conductive impurities can also be implanted into the lower portion of the wide trench region which constitutes the head of the T-shaped isolation layer and is extended to both sides from the upper end of the narrow trench region by controlling the depth of the wide trench region in an ion implantation step for forming the source/drain region.

Abstract: There is provided a semiconductor device fabrication method. In the method, a gate layer is formed on a semiconductor substrate and patterned to form a first resultant structure, a metal layer is formed on the first resultant structure, a capping layer is formed on the metal layer, a metal silicide is formed on the gate layer by heating the substrate at a first temperature, unreacted metal layer and first capping layer are removed to form a second resultant structure, a second capping layer is formed on the second resultant structure, and the substrate is heated at a second temperature higher than the first temperature. The second capping layer suppresses a silicidation rate in the secondary heat treatment, thereby allowing a silicide of a good morphology to be achieved.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a MOS transistor involves forming a buffering layer on an active region, performing an ion implantation to form a heavily doped region (source/drain region), and forming a self-aligned silicide region (salicide region) on exposed silicon and polysilicon gate. With this method, a salicide region free from voids can be formed because transition metal material (for example, cobalt) and silicon atoms at an interface portion between the transition metal layer and the substrate silicon are not locally accelerated or delayed during the formation of the salicide region.

Abstract: A reverse self-aligned field effect transistor and a method of fabricating the same are provided. The reverse self-aligned transistor includes a source formed on an active region of a semiconductor substrate and a drain formed on the active region of the semiconductor substrate, the drain being positioned a predetermined distance from the source. A silicide film is formed on the source and the drain. Insulative film spacers are formed on sidewalls of a trench, the trench being formed by etchin the semiconductor substrate between the source and the drain. A gate insulative film is formed on a lower portion of the trench and a metal gate is formed on the gate insulative film between the insulative film spacers. The metal gate is electrically isolated from the source and the drain by the insulative film spacers.