Abstract: A method makes contact with a doping region formed at a substrate surface of a substrate. An insulating layer is applied on the substrate surface and a contact hole is formed in the insulating layer. A metal-containing layer is subsequently deposited on the insulating layer and the surface region of the doping region that is uncovered by the contact hole. In a subsequent thermal process having two steps, first the metal-containing layer is reacted with the silicon of the doping region to form a metal silicide layer and then the rest of the metal-containing layer is converted into a metal-nitride-containing layer in a second thermal step.

Abstract: The novel method allows monitoring of nitrogen processes by making use of the fact that the incorporation of nitrogen near the surface in silicon, or in a thin silicon nitride layer on the silicon surface, inhibits the diffusion of oxygen during the subsequent thermal oxidation. Accordingly, the oxidation rate of the thermal oxidation is reduced and the growth of the oxide layer on the silicon surface is inhibited. The thickness of the oxide layer is thus used as a measure for the nitrogen content, i.e., for the quality of the nitrogen process.