Methods of fabricating contact interfaces

Abstract

A contact used in testing semiconductor devices components includes a protrusion that is configured to be received by a semiconductor device component and a silicide layer, or interface, over at least a portion of the protrusion. The silicide layer may be formed with a barrier layer, such as titanium nitride, and an underlying thin dielectric layer between a silicon-containing substrate and a silicidable material or a silicide. The barrier layer prevents the formation of electrical passages, formed by the silicidable material or a silicide thereof, within imperfections or voids through the thin dielectric layer.

1 . A method for forming a contact interface, comprising: 
 forming at least one protruding contact structure on a substrate, the at least one protruding contact structure being configured to be received by a recess of a contact pad of a semiconductor device component; and    forming a silicide contact over at least a portion of the at least one protruding contact structure.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein forming the silicide contact comprises forming the silicide contact so as to be electrically isolated from the substrate.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising: 
 forming a layer comprising dielectric material over at least a portion of the at least one protruding contact structure prior to forming the silicide contact.    
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein forming the layer comprising dielectric material comprises forming silicon dioxide.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein forming the layer comprising dielectric material comprises depositing TEOS.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein forming the at least one protruding contact structure comprises forming the at least one protruding contact structure from a semiconductor substrate.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein forming the silicide contact comprises: 
 forming a layer comprising silicon over the layer comprising dielectric material;    forming a layer comprising electrically conductive silicidable material over the layer comprising silicon; and    annealing the silicon and the electrically conductive silicidable material.    
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein forming the layer comprising electrically conductive silicidable material comprises forming a layer comprising cobalt.  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein annealing is effected by heating at least the silicon to a temperature of about 400° C. to about 800° C.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein annealing is effected by heating at least the silicon to a temperature of about 450° C. to about 600° C.  
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising: 
 removing an unreacted portion of the electrically conductive silicidable material.    
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein removing the unreacted portion is effected without substantially removing reacted electrically conductive silicidable material.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein removing the unreacted portion is effected with a hydrochloric/peroxide mixture solution.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein forming the silicide contact further comprises: 
 forming another layer comprising dielectric material over the layer comprising silicon, prior to forming the layer comprising electrically conductive silicidable material.    
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein forming the another layer comprising dielectric material comprises depositing silicon dioxide.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein forming the silicide contact further comprises: 
 exposing a portion of the layer comprising silicon through the another layer comprising dielectric material.    
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein forming the silicide contact further comprises: 
 forming a layer comprising barrier material over the another layer comprising dielectric material, prior to forming the layer comprising electrically conductive silicidable material.    
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein forming the layer comprising barrier material comprises forming a layer comprising at least one of titanium nitride, tungsten nitride, tungsten silicon nitride, and titanium silicon nitride.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein forming the silicide contact further comprises: 
 exposing a portion of the layer comprising silicon through the layer comprising barrier material and the another layer comprising dielectric material.    
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein annealing is effected through the barrier layer and the another layer comprising dielectric material.  
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 20 , further comprising: 
 removing an unreacted portion of the electrically conductive silicidable material.    
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein removing the unreacted portion is effected without substantially removing the barrier material.  
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein forming the layer comprising barrier material comprises preventing the electrically conductive silicidable material from reacting with the silicon through at least one of a void and an imperfection in the another layer comprising dielectric material.  
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising: 
 removing the layer comprising barrier material after forming the silicide contact.    
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein removing the layer comprising barrier material is effected without substantially removing the silicide contact.  
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein removing the layer comprising barrier material is effected without substantially removing the layer comprising dielectric material.  
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein removing the layer comprising barrier material comprises substantially completely removing the barrier material.  
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein removing is effected with an ammonia/perioxide mixture solution.