Patent ID: 11965236
Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
Field: Surface technology, coating (Chemistry)
Classification: CPC C  H | IPC C  H

Claim 0:
1. A method for forming a nickel silicide material on a substrate comprising:
depositing a first nickel silicide seed layer atop a substrate at a temperature of about 15° C. to about 27° C.;
annealing the first nickel silicide seed layer at a temperature over 350° C. for a duration sufficient to increase a grain size of a seed grain of the first nickel silicide seed layer to at least 200 nm, wherein depositing the first nickel silicide seed layer and annealing the first nickel silicide seed layer are performed without vacuum break between depositing the first nickel silicide seed layer and annealing the first nickel silicide seed layer; and
after annealing the first nickel silicide seed layer, depositing a second nickel silicide layer atop the first nickel silicide seed layer at a temperature of about 15° C. to about 27° C. to form the nickel silicide material,
wherein the first nickel silicide seed layer and the second nickel silicide layer are deposited by a physical vapor deposition process.