Formation of titanium silicide films by rapid thermal processing

Titanium silicide thin films, sputter deposited from a composite silicide target, have been rapidly sintered in ∼10 s to produce extremely uniform highly conductive layers (≲ Ω/sq \plusmn; 1 percent over a 4-in wafer) with film stress comparable to furnace-annealed films. Such films are suitable for VLSI applications. In addition, silicide formation and activation of ion-implanted species in adjacent Si regions can be accomplished in the same rapid processing step without significant dopant redistribution.