Arc plasma jet cleaning of the silicon surface before CoSi2/Si contact formation

Cleaning of the silicon surface before Co film deposition is a key procedure in the synthesis of silicide (CoSi₂) and, hence, in the production of the metal-semiconductor contact. This study deals with a new method of surface cleaning using arc plasma jet treatment (APJT) at atmospheric pressure. The results show that cleaning of the Si surface using APJT (Ar/CCIF₃) improves the Schottky barrier contact parameters in comparison with conventional wet HF final cleaning and additional cleaning using in situ Ar-ion-beam sputter etching. Moreover, substantially longer time of wafer exposure to air between final cleaning and metal deposition is acceptable. Auger electron spectroscopy shows that APJT removes oxygen from the Si surface.