Patent ID: 8476164

Claim:
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising: providing a substrate, at least with a patterned silicon-containing layer on the substrate and spacers adjacent to the patterned silicon-containing layer; forming a metal layer on the substrate and covering the patterned silicon-containing layer and said spacers; forming a capping layer on the metal layer; performing a first rapid thermal process (RTP1) to at least make a portion of the metal layer react with the substrate around the spacers to form a transitional silicide; removing the capping layer and unreacted portions of the metal layer; forming a first nitride film with a first tensile stress S1 on the substrate; and performing a second rapid thermal process (RTP2) to transfer the transitional silicide to a silicide and to transfer the first nitride film to a second nitride film with a second tensile stress S2, wherein the second tensile stress S2 is larger than the first tensile stress S1.