Patent ID: 7947560

Claim:
A method for forming a silicide, comprising the steps of: forming a nickel film on a silicon layer (or a silicon substrate) by sputtering nickel in an atmosphere comprising a gas mixture in which a partial pressure ratio of a nitrogen gas in the gas mixture is in a range from 10% (included) to 20% (included); after the forming of the nickel film introducing nitrogen into at least one of the nickel film and an interface between the nickel film and the silicon layer (or the silicon substrate); and after the introduction of the nitrogen, applying a heat treatment to the nickel film and the silicon layer (or the silicon substrate) under predetermined conditions to form a nickel disilicide layer, wherein at least one of the predetermined conditions is that a temperature in a chamber in which the heat treatment is performed is in a range of 400° C. (included) to 800° C. (excluded) in an atmosphere of pure nitrogen at a pressure of approximately 1 atmosphere.