Contact resistance reduction of Pt-incorporated NiSi for continuous CMOS scaling ∼ Atomic level analysis of Pt/B/As distribution within silicide films

Platinum (Pt)-incorporation into nickel silicide films is the promising approach to reduce the contact resistance (R C ) at silicide/Si interface. Physical properties of Ni 1-x Pt x Si films were investigated by using local electrode atom probe (LEAP); The distributions of Pt and dopants (such as As and B) were analyzed both at silicide/Si interface and at silicide grain boundary. The silicide grain-size miniaturization was clearly observed by Pt-incorporation. The impacts of silicide grain size on electrical properties and thermal stability were clarified depending on the Pt concentration. Finally, R C reduction depending on the incorporated-Pt concentration was experimentally shown in both nMOSFETs and pMOSFETs.