Electrochemical and Solid State Letters, Vol.3, No.9, 442-445, 2000
Effect of BF2+ implantation on void formation in Ti-salicided narrow polysilicon lines
We report the formation of voids in TiSi2 films formed on deep submicron BF2+-implanted polysilicon (polySi) lines. The void formation was strongly dependent on BF2+-implant dose, the p(+) annealing temperature, and the polySi linewidth. Using plan-view scanning electron microscopy and cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy, both surface and subsurface voids were observed. The voids were distributed predominantly along the center of the p(+) polySi lines and near the TiSi2/polySi interface, especially for linewidths less than subquarter-micrometer. X-ray photoemission spectroscopic analysis detected a mixture of SiFx (1 less than or equal to x less than or equal to 4) and TiFx (x = 3, 4) like species near the TiSi2/polySi interface during an in situ annealing of Ti and Si, providing further evidence that the voids are fluorine-assisted species.