Appeal No. 1997-3635
Application No. 08/498,357
metallization layer from oxidation. As disclosed on pages 8
and 9 of the specification, the surface of a barrier
metallization layer is coated in-situ with a thin silicon
layer prior to its removal from the reaction chamber.
Additionally, the silicon layer may be sintered with the
barrier layer to form a metal silicide which serves as a
passivation layer as well as providing a low contact
resistance to the underlying barrier layer. The disclosure on
pages 16 through 18 teaches that any one of the Chemical Vapor
Deposition (CVD) methods: Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor
Deposition (PECVD) methods, and Physical Vapor Deposition
(PVD) sputtering methods may be used for forming the barrier
metallization and the silicon layers.
Representative independent claim 1 is reproduced as
follows:
1. A method for forming a barrier metallization
layer upon a semiconductor substrate comprising:
providing a semiconductor substrate;
forming upon the semiconductor substrate a barrier
metallization layer; and
forming in-situ upon the barrier metallization layer
a silicon layer, the silicon layer being formed without
exposing the barrier metallization layer to oxygen, the
silicon layer having a thickness such that the contact
2
Page: Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Next
Last modified: November 3, 2007