Improvement of thermal stability of nickel silicide film using NH3 plasma treatment

Abstract

In this study, the effects of NH3 plasma pre-treatment on the characteristics of NiSi films were investigated. Nickel film was deposited on a Si(100) substrate by meal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) using Ni(Pr-i-DAD)(2) as a Ni precursor and NH3 gas as a reactant. Before the Ni deposition, silicon substrate was treated by NH3 plasma with various flow rates to adjust the amount of inserted hydrogen and nitrogen atoms. The Ni films showed a considerable low sheet resistance around 12 Omega/square, irrespective of the NH3 plasma pre-treatment conditions. The sheet resistance of the all Ni films was decreased after annealing at 500 degrees C due to formation of a low resistive NiSi phase. NiSi films with a high flow rate of NH3 plasma pre-treatment exhibited a lower sheet resistance and smoother interface between NiSi and the Si substrate than the low flow rate of the NH3 plasma pre-treated NiSi films because lots of nitrogen atoms incorporated at grain boundary of NiSi which result in reduce total surface/interface energy of NiSi and enhancement interface characteristics.