ELECTRICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF A WSIX CONTACT ELECTRODE WITH A WSIXN DIFFUSION BARRIER FORMED BY USING ELECTRON-CYCLOTRON-RESONANCE PLASMA NITRIDATION

The electrical characteristics of a WSichi contact electrode with a WS ichi N diffusion barrier are evaluated. The WSichiN diffusion barrier was formed by WSi, surface nitridation using electron cyclotron resona nce nitrogen plasma. It is found that the WSchiN layer prevents impuri ty diffusion from the diffusion layer into the WSi, electrode and the concentration of impurities at the interface between the diffusion lay er and WSichiWSi2N/WSichi, electrode is over 1 x 10(20) atom/cm(3) eve n after rapid thermal annealing (RTA) at 1100 degrees C for 10 s. More over, the total resistance of both an n(+)-Si/WSichi/WSichiN/WSichi an d p(+)-Si/WSichi/WSichiN/WSichi contact system, which is the sum of th e electrode resistance and the contact resistance at the electrode/dif fusion layer interface, decreases below one-fifteenth after RTA. The r eduction of the total resistance by RTA is discussed.