Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Comp. Ltd.

Yu-Wen Cheng

Wei-Yip Loh

Hong-Mao Lee

Chih-Wei Chang

Ming-Hsing Tsai

Wei-Jung Lin

Sheng-Hsuan Lin

Hung-Hsu Chen

Yan-Ming Tsai

Yu-Shiuan Wang

Cheng-Tung Lin

Ken-Yu Chang

Ya-Yi Cheng

Chun-Hsien Huang

Yu-Kai Chen

Chih-wei Chang

Chun-I Tsai

Yu-Ming Huang

Yu-Hsiang Liao

Chun-Chieh Wang

Yu-Ting Lin

Yueh-Ching Pai

Tien-Pei Chou

Embodiments disclosed herein relate generally to forming an effective metal diffusion barrier in sidewalls of epitaxy source/drain regions. In an embodiment, a structure includes an active area having a source/drain region on a substrate, a dielectric layer over the active area and having a sidewall aligned with the sidewall of the source/drain region, and a conductive feature along the sidewall of the dielectric layer to the source/drain region. The source/drain region has a sidewall and a lateral surface extending laterally from the sidewall of the source/drain region, and the source/drain region further includes a nitrided region extending laterally from the sidewall of the source/drain region into the source/drain region. The conductive feature includes a silicide region along the lateral surface of the source/drain region and along at least a portion of the sidewall of the source/drain region.

Contact with a silicide region

Generally, examples are provided relating to conductive features that include a barrier layer, and to methods thereof. In an embodiment, a metal layer is deposited in an opening through a dielectric layer(s) to a source/drain region. The metal layer is along the source/drain region and along a sidewall of the dielectric layer(s) that at least partially defines the opening. The metal layer is nitrided, which includes performing a multiple plasma process that includes at least one directional-dependent plasma process. A portion of the metal layer remains un-nitrided by the multiple plasma process. A silicide region is formed, which includes reacting the un-nitrided portion of the metal layer with a portion of the source/drain region. A conductive material is disposed in the opening on the nitrided portions of the metal layer.

Conductive feature formation and structure

A method for forming a semiconductor contact structure is provided. The method includes depositing a dielectric layer over a substrate. The method also includes etching the dielectric layer to expose a sidewall of the dielectric layer and a top surface of the substrate. In addition, the method includes forming a silicide region in the substrate. The method also includes applying a plasma treatment to the sidewall of the dielectric layer and the top surface of the substrate to form a nitridation region adjacent to a periphery of the silicide region. The method further includes depositing an adhesion layer on the dielectric layer and the silicide region.

Method for forming semiconductor contact structure

Method of forming a contact with a silicide region

A semiconductor device and method of forming the same that includes forming a dielectric layer over a substrate and patterning a contact region in the dielectric layer, the contact region having side portions and a bottom portion that exposes the substrate. The method can also include forming a dielectric barrier layer in the contact region to cover the side portions and the bottom portion, and etching the dielectric barrier layer to expose the substrate. Subsequently, a conductive layer can be formed to cover the side portions and the bottom portion of the contact region and the conductive layer can be annealed to form a silicide region in the substrate beneath the bottom portion of the contact region, and the conductive layer can then be selectively removed on the side portions of the contact region. Finally, a surface treatment can be performed in the contact region to form N-rich areas in the dielectric layer and a nitridation region in the substrate, and an adhesion layer can formed in the contact region to cover the side portions and the bottom portion of the contact region.

Contact structure and the method of forming the same

The present disclosure relates generally to techniques for forming a continuous adhesion layer for a contact plug. A method includes forming an opening through a dielectric layer to an active area on a substrate. The method includes performing a first plasma treatment along a sidewall of the opening. The method includes performing an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process to form a metal nitride layer along the sidewall of the opening. The ALD process includes a plurality of cycles. Each cycle includes flowing a precursor to form a metal monolayer along the sidewall and performing a second plasma treatment to treat the metal monolayer with nitrogen. The method includes depositing a conductive material on the metal nitride layer in the opening to form a conductive feature.

Semiconductor device with TiN adhesion layer for forming a contact plug

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Tainan, Taiwan

Yu-Wen Cheng