Doped nitride-based semiconductor materials and methods of producing these materials are described herein.

A device includes a metal-silicide region formed in a semiconductor material in a contact opening. A concentration of a material, including chlorine, fluorine, or a combination thereof is in the metal-silicide region near an uppermost surface of the metal-silicide region. The presence of chlorine or fluorine results from a physical bombarding of the chlorine or fluorine in the contact opening. As a result of the physical bombard, the opening becomes wider at the bottom of the opening and the sidewalls of the opening are thinned. A capping layer is over the metal-silicide region and over sidewalls of a contact plug opening. A contact plug is formed over the capping layer, filling the contact plug opening. Before the contact plug is formed, a silicidation occurs to form the metal-silicide and the metal-silicide is wider than the bottom of the opening.

A device includes a metal-silicide region formed in a semiconductor material in a contact opening. A concentration of a material, including chlorine, fluorine, or a combination thereof is in the metal-silicide region near an uppermost surface of the metal-silicide region. The presence of chlorine or fluorine results from a physical bombarding of the chlorine or fluorine in the contact opening. As a result of the physical bombard, the opening becomes wider at the bottom of the opening and the sidewalls of the opening are thinned. A capping layer is over the metal-silicide region and over sidewalls of a contact plug opening. A contact plug is formed over the capping layer, filling the contact plug opening. Before the contact plug is formed, a silicidation occurs to form the metal-silicide and the metal-silicide is wider than the bottom of the opening.

An apparatus for processing a plurality of semiconductor wafers, the apparatus including a spallation chamber, a neutron producing material mounted in the spallation chamber, a neutron moderator, and an irradiation chamber coupled to the spallation chamber, wherein the neutron moderator is disposed between the spallation chamber and the irradiation chamber, wherein the irradiation chamber is configured to accommodate the plurality of semiconductor wafers, wherein each of the plurality of semiconductor wafers has a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, wherein the plurality of semiconductor wafers are positioned so that a first surface of one semiconductor wafer faces a second surface of another semiconductor wafer.

An apparatus for processing a plurality of semiconductor wafers, the apparatus including a spallation chamber, a neutron producing material mounted in the spallation chamber, a neutron moderator, and an irradiation chamber coupled to the spallation chamber, wherein the neutron moderator is disposed between the spallation chamber and the irradiation chamber, wherein the irradiation chamber is configured to accommodate the plurality of semiconductor wafers, wherein each of the plurality of semiconductor wafers has a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, wherein the plurality of semiconductor wafers are positioned so that a first surface of one semiconductor wafer faces a second surface of another semiconductor wafer.

A device includes a metal-silicide region formed in a semiconductor material in a contact opening. A concentration of a material, including chlorine, fluorine, or a combination thereof is in the metal-silicide region near an uppermost surface of the metal-silicide region. The presence of chlorine or fluorine results from a physical bombarding of the chlorine or fluorine in the contact opening. As a result of the physical bombard, the opening becomes wider at the bottom of the opening and the sidewalls of the opening are thinned. A capping layer is over the metal-silicide region and over sidewalls of a contact plug opening. A contact plug is formed over the capping layer, filling the contact plug opening. Before the contact plug is formed, a silicidation occurs to form the metal-silicide and the metal-silicide is wider than the bottom of the opening.

A device includes a metal-silicide region formed in a semiconductor material in a contact opening. A concentration of a material, including chlorine, fluorine, or a combination thereof is in the metal-silicide region near an uppermost surface of the metal-silicide region. The presence of chlorine or fluorine results from a physical bombarding of the chlorine or fluorine in the contact opening. As a result of the physical bombard, the opening becomes wider at the bottom of the opening and the sidewalls of the opening are thinned. A capping layer is over the metal-silicide region and over sidewalls of a contact plug opening. A contact plug is formed over the capping layer, filling the contact plug opening. Before the contact plug is formed, a silicidation occurs to form the metal-silicide and the metal-silicide is wider than the bottom of the opening.

In various embodiments, a method of processing one or more semiconductor wafers is provided. The method includes positioning the one or more semiconductor wafers in an irradiation chamber, generating a neutron flux in a spallation chamber coupled to the irradiation chamber, moderating the neutron flux to produce a thermal neutron flux, and exposing the one or more semiconductor wafers to the thermal neutron flux to thereby induce the creation of dopant atoms in the one or more semiconductor wafers.

In various embodiments, a method of processing one or more semiconductor wafers is provided. The method includes positioning the one or more semiconductor wafers in an irradiation chamber, generating a neutron flux in a spallation chamber coupled to the irradiation chamber, moderating the neutron flux to produce a thermal neutron flux, and exposing the one or more semiconductor wafers to the thermal neutron flux to thereby induce the creation of dopant atoms in the one or more semiconductor wafers.

The structures of base semiconductor materials such as Si are modified by the use of isotope transmutation alloying. A radioisotope such as Si.sup.31 is added into a base semiconductor material such as Si, and the radioisotope is transformed to a transmuted form within the crystal lattice structure of the base semiconductor material. A master alloy comprising a relatively large amount of radioisotope such as Si.sup.31 may initially be made, followed by introduction of the master alloy into the base semiconductor material. When Si.sup.31 is used as the radioisotope, it may be transmuted into P.sup.31 within an Si crystal lattice structure. Metastable semiconductor materials doped with otherwise insoluble amounts of selected dopants are produced as a result of the transmutation process.