As geometries continue to shrink, silicidation of the gate, source and drain regions becomes more challenging due to the density and higher aspect ratios of transistor gate stacks. Excellent step coverage and thin film uniformity must be achieved on smaller, higher aspect-ratio features. In addition, the silicide material must provide low resistivity and gate leakage.

The Applied Endura ALPS (Advanced Low-Pressure Source) Cobalt PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition) system offers a simple, high-performance silicide solution for gate and contact applications in high aspect ratio structures. Using the proprietary ALPS technology, Endura ALPS Co provides superior bottom coverage with no plasma damage to the device and best-of-breed defect performance to extend cobalt to ≤90nm technology nodes. Endura ALPS Co addresses the challenges of Ti agglomeration, contact resistance change, and dopant suction by providing excellent performance for resistivity, leakage current, and thermal stability.