Importance

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Abstract

In one implementation, a method of depositing a nitrogen enriched metal layer over a semiconductor substrate includes providing a sputter deposition reactor chamber having an inductive coil positioned therein, a metallic target position therein, and a semiconductor substrate positioned therein. A nitrogen containing source gas and a sputtering gas are fed to the reactor chamber. The reactor is operated to provide a selected target power, inductive coil power and substrate bias during the feeding effective to deposit an MN.sub.x comprising layer on the substrate, where 'M' is an elemental metal and 'x' is greater than 0 and less than 1. One implementation also includes forming a silicide contact to silicon from such layer, preferably with a silicon layer being formed over the MN.sub.x comprising layer. In one implementation, a method of forming a metal source layer in an integrated circuit, where the metal source layer includes a metal and a non-metal impurity, includes selecting a sputtering ambient for a sputter deposition reactor having an inductive coil positioned therein to achieve within about 15% of a maximal resistivity for unsaturated metal layers having the same metal and non-metal impurity. A metallic target is then sputtered in the selected ambient within the reactor. In other aspects, the invention encompasses methods of analyzing impact of operating parameter changes for plasma deposition reactors having an inductive coil positioned therein, and methods of forming integrated circuitry.

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First Claim