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Abstract

Method of making a semiconductor device, wherein an etchant gas is employed to etch a contact hole through an insulation layer overlying a conduction layer as disposed on a substrate of semiconductor material such that a surface portion of the conduction layer is selectively exposed by the formation of the contact hole through the overlying insulation layer. Normally, the etchant gas as so employed will have a tendency to react with the underlying conduction layer so as to form reaction products on the selectively exposed surface portion of the conduction layer increasing the contact resistance thereof. The method involves flooding the etched contact hole immediately following its formation with a gaseous medium covering the area of the selectively exposed surface portion of the conduction layer, wherein the gaseous medium is capable of inhibiting the formation of reaction products on the selectively exposed surface portion of the conduction layer from the original etchant gas. The formation of resistance-increasing reaction products on the selectively exposed surface portion of the conduction layer is thereby suppressed such that an undesirable increase in contact resistance is avoided. In a specific aspect, the etchant gas is a fluorine-based gaseous plasma, and the reaction product-inhibiting gaseous medium is a nitrogen-containing plasma.

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First Claim