US 7,320,939 B2
Semiconductor device fabricated by a method of reducing the contact resistance of the connection regions
Robert Lander, Leuven (Belgium); Marcus Johannes Henricus van Dal, Leuven (Belgium); and Jacob Christopher Hooker, Leuven (Belgium)
Assigned to Interuniversitair Microelektronica Centrum (IMEC), Leuven (Belgium); and Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V., BA Eindhoven (Netherlands)
Filed on Sep. 22, 2006, as Appl. No. 11/526,116.
Application 11/526116 is a division of application No. 10/966141, filed on Oct. 15, 2004, granted, now 7,189,648.
Claims priority of application No. 2003/0546 (BE), filed on Oct. 17, 2003.
Prior Publication US 2007/0020930 A1, Jan. 25, 2007
Int. Cl. H01L 21/44 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 438—682  [438/199; 438/685; 257/E21.438] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A semiconductor device which comprises a semiconductor structure having a silicon region forming at least one connection region, wherein the semiconductor device is fabricated by a method, which comprises:
forming, at least at the silicon region, a metal cluster layer from a first metal, such that, in the metal cluster layer, metal clusters alternate with sites where there are no metal clusters, the first metal being a non-siliciding metal at predetermined conditions;
depositing a metal layer of a second metal on top of the metal cluster layer, the second metal being a siliciding metal; and
carrying out at least one heat treatment at the predetermined conditions on the second metal layer so as to form metal silicide through reaction of the second metal with the silicon region, wherein atoms of the first metal are displaced in a direction substantially perpendicular to the surface of the substrate.