 Image Number 7 for United States Patent #6348413.
In one aspect of the present invention, a method of forming a layer of silicide on a surface of a silicon-containing structure surface that is separated from a first structure by a second structure is provided. The method includes the steps of forming a layer of silicide-forming material on the surface of the silicon-containing structure, and the first and second structures. The layer of silicide-forming material is annealed in an ambient containing a nitrogen bearing species at a pressure greater than about one atmosphere to form the layer of silicide on the surface of the silicon-containing structure. The nitrogen bearing species reacts with the silicide-forming material to retard the formation of silicide on the third structure. The method reduces the potential for silicide bridging between, for example, the gate and source/drain regions of a transistor during silicide contact formation.
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