Patent ID: 6969677

Claim:
A method of forming a conductive metal silicide by reaction of metal with silicon, comprising: providing a semiconductor substrate comprising an exposed elemental silicon-containing surface; depositing a crystalline form layer comprising at least one of TiN, WN, elemental form W, or SiC onto the exposed elemental silicon-containing surface to a thickness no greater than 50 Angstroms; exposing the crystalline form layer of thickness no greater than 50 Angstroms to plasma and depositing a conductive reaction layer comprising at least one of an elemental metal or metal rich silicide onto the plasma exposed layer; and diffusing at least one of metal of the conductive reaction layer or elemental silicon of the substrate along columnar grain boundaries of the crystalline form layer effective to cause a reaction of metal of the conductive reaction layer with elemental silicon of the substrate to form a conductive metal silicide-comprising contact region electrically connecting the conductive reaction layer with the substrate.