Embodiments of the invention provide a method of forming nickel-silicide. The method may include depositing first and second metal layers over at least one of a gate, a source, and a drain region of a field-effect-transistor (FET) through a physical vapor deposition (PVD) process, wherein the first metal layer is deposited using a first nickel target material containing platinum (Pt), and the second metal layer is deposited on top of the first metal layer using a second nickel target material containing no or less platinum than that in the first nickel target material; and annealing the first and second metal layers covering the FET to form a platinum-containing nickel-silicide layer at a top surface of the gate, source, and drain regions.