Comparison of integrated in situ RIE preclean processes for CVD tungsten silicide deposition done in a cluster tool

Summary form only given. The authors describe a predeposition clean in which reactive ion etching (RIE) prior to tungsten silicide deposition is used. This technique yields silicide films which can easily withstand postsilicide deposition, high-temperature heat treatment, and wet oxidation without loss of film adhesion or other obvious degradation. The authors also report the extensive use of the secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) microanalytical technique to demonstrate that this procedure has indeed been effective in the removal of the oxide layer prior to silicide deposition. The etch properties for C₂F₆ and CF₄ have been compared