In some embodiments, the semiconductor device 100 with the ESL 140 is baked at a temperature between 100 and 400 degrees Celsius. Note that the temperature may vary during baking, for example, according to a predefined temperature profile. In some embodiments, baking lasts between 30 seconds and 10 minutes. In some embodiments, baking may be conducted in an ambient gas including nitrogen (N2), a combination of nitrogen and hydrogen (H2), a combination of nitrogen and an inert gas such as argon (Ar), or any other suitable gas composition. The suitable ambient gas (e.g., N2+H2) helps enhance the silicidation process by making it easier for silicon to penetrate into the ESL portions 142.

Referring now to FIG. 1D, a wet etching process is performed to selectively remove portions of the ESL 140 from the upper surfaces of the semiconductor device 100. In an embodiment, an etch solution 150 is configured such that the ESL portions 142 in contact with the ILD 130 would remain but the ESL portions 144 in contact with the conductive components 120 and 122 would be removed. In other words, post etching the ESL 140 remains on the upper surfaces of the ILD 130, but not on the upper surfaces of the conductive components 120 and 122. As shown in FIG. 1D, a step height profile or geometry is created along the upper surface of the conductive components 120 and 122.