Patent ID: 7704858

Claim:
A method comprising: providing a semiconductor substrate within a reactor; performing a first ALD process cycle to form a nickel layer on the substrate, wherein the first ALD process cycle comprises: pulsing a nickel precursor into the reactor, purging the reactor after the nickel precursor, pulsing a mixture of hydrogen and silane into the reactor, and purging the reactor after the hydrogen and silane pulse; performing a second ALD process cycle to form a silicon-containing capping layer on the nickel layer, wherein the second ALD process cycle comprises: pulsing a silane precursor into the reactor, purging the reactor after the silane precursor, pulsing a co-reactant into the reactor, and purging the reactor after the co-reactant pulse; performing a first anneal in the presence of oxygen to getter carbon from at least one of the nickel layer and the silicon-containing layer; performing a second anneal in the presence of a hydrogen plasma to drive off oxygen; and performing a third anneal of the nickel layer to form a nickel silicide layer.