salicide is self alligned silicidation ,
silicidation is adding a refractory metal for poly "polycide" or for contact , resistor .
in all cases it decrease there resistance , where refractory metals "i.e. tangestun W" has lower resistivity than poly or diffusion but ofcourse higher than metals like Cu , Al.
silicides are added to contact cuts before metal to prevent pitting "diffusion of Al,Cu into Si which may cause shorting MOS , this happen due to solubility of Al in Si"
self alligned means that we are doing the silicidation for poly and contacts and resistors in one step.