A process for electrolessly depositing cobalt-tin alloys with adjustable tin contents from 1 to over 25 atomic percent tin is disclosed. The deposited alloy is useful in the electronics and computer industries for device, chip interconnection and packaging applications. When used for chip interconnection applications, for example, the invention replaces the currently used complicated ball-limiting-metallurgy. The invention may also be used to inhibit hillock formation and electromigration in copper wire structures found in computers and micron dimension electronic devices.

Cobalt-tin alloys and their applications for devices, chip interconnections and packaging

Substrate processing systems are described that have a capacitively coupled plasma (CCP) unit positioned inside a process chamber. The CCP unit may include a plasma excitation region formed between a first electrode and a second electrode. The first electrode may include a first plurality of openings to permit a first gas to enter the plasma excitation region, and the second electrode may include a second plurality of openings to permit an activated gas to exit the plasma excitation region. The system may further include a gas inlet for supplying the first gas to the first electrode of the CCP unit, and a pedestal that is operable to support a substrate. The pedestal is positioned below a gas reaction region into which the activated gas travels from the CCP unit.

Semiconductor processing system and methods using capacitively coupled plasma

An exemplary system may include a chamber configured to contain a semiconductor substrate in a processing region of the chamber. The system may include a first remote plasma unit fluidly coupled with a first access of the chamber and configured to deliver a first precursor into the chamber through the first access. The system may still further include a second remote plasma unit fluidly coupled with a second access of the chamber and configured to deliver a second precursor into the chamber through the second access. The first and second access may be fluidly coupled with a mixing region of the chamber that is separate from and fluidly coupled with the processing region of the chamber. The mixing region may be configured to allow the first and second precursors to interact with each other externally from the processing region of the chamber.

Semiconductor processing systems having multiple plasma configurations

Embodiments of the invention provide a cluster tool configured to deposit a material onto a substrate surface by using one or more electroless, electrochemical plating, CVD and/or ALD processing chambers. In one aspect, a ruthenium-containing catalytic layer is formed. Embodiments of the invention provide a hybrid deposition system configured to deposit a seed layer on a substrate with an electroless process and to subsequently fill interconnect features on the substrate with an ECP cell. Other aspects provide an electroless deposition system configured to deposit a seed layer on a substrate, fill interconnect features on a substrate, or sequentially deposit both a seed layer and fill interconnect features on the substrate. One embodiment provides an electroless deposition system configured to form a capping layer over substrate interconnects. The system includes a vapor dryer for pre- and post-deposition cleaning of substrates as well as a brush box chamber for post-deposition cleaning.

Integrated electroless deposition system

The present invention relates to an electroless-plating liquid useful for forming a protective film for selectively protecting surface of exposed interconnects of a semiconductor device which has an embedded interconnect structure formed by an electric conductor, such as copper or silver, embedded in fine recesses for interconnects formed in a surface of a semiconductor substrate, and also to a semiconductor device in which surfaces of exposed interconnects are selectively protected with a protective film. The electroless-plating liquid contains cobalt ions, a complexing agent and a reducing agent containing no alkali metal.

Electroless plating liquid and semiconductor device

Electroless, polymetallic nickel alloys containing an element of boron or phosphorus and one or more metals selected from tin, tungsten, molybdenum or copper which have unique properties and are produced as a plated deposit in an electroless nickel plating bath containing an ester complex of a polyhydric acid or alcohol such as the diboron ester of glucoheptonic acid.

Electroless nickel polyalloys

Polyalloy catalytic coating formulations are used for preparing a metallic substrate surface to enhance subsequent plating thereover of nickel, cobalt or polyalloys including nickel or cobalt. At the same time, these catalytic formulations can be rinsed subsequent to their application onto the substrate and prior to the electroless deposition thereover. Improved products such as printed wiring boards may be made with these catalytic formulations. Such boards are prepared by depositing metal and forming circuitry patterns by using resists, etching techniques and the like which typically leave copper specks on the non-conductive board. The invention discourages electroless deposition by a nickel-containing plating bath over embedded copper specks, thereby reducing the possibility of developing bridging within the circuitry and in general undesirably increasing the conductivity of the board at locations other than on the circuitry pattern to produce printed wiring boards that are extermely resistant to developing short circuiting problems.

Electrolessly plated product having a polymetallic catalytic film underlayer

Method for producing electroless nickel or cobalt polymetallic polyalloys having high hardness as plated and containing phosphorus, a primary metal selected from the group consisting of nickel and cobalt and at least one secondary metal selected from the group consisting of copper, molybdenum, tin, and tungsten, which alloys are prepared in baths employing a hypophosphite reducing agent and operated at a particular alkaline pH range and in the presence of a fluoborate anion. The polyalloys "as-deposited" do not require age or heat treatments to produce hardness having Vickers Harness Number values above about 800 (VHN 100 ).

Method for producing electroless polyalloys

Method for plating an electroless nickel phosphorus containing alloy deposit on a substrate where the deposit has a high weight percent of phosphorus above 8 or 10 weigh percent and is plated at high deposition rates above 10 and up to 25 micrometers per hour and where the plating deposition is conducted in the presence of a nickel chelating agent having a stability constant, log K a , above 3 such as citric acid and at a pH of from about 5.0 to about 8.0.

Method for depositing electroless nickel phosphorus alloys

Electroless nickel baths for producing high hardness nickel alloys "as-deposited" containing phosphorus which are produced using baths employing hypophosphite reducing agents at a particular pH range advantageously above 6 and in the presence of a fluoborate anion. The nickel phosphorus alloys "as-deposited" do not require age or heat treatments to produce high hardness with Vickers Harness Number values above about 700 and generally above about 800 to 900 (VHN100) and have phosphorus contents below about 4 weight percent and a crystalline nature with crystallite diameters in excess of 60 Angstroms.

Jr. Glenn O. Mallory

Papers

Electroless nickel polyalloys

Electrolessly plated product having a polymetallic catalytic film underlayer

Method for producing electroless polyalloys

Method for depositing electroless nickel phosphorus alloys

Electroless nickel baths for enhancing hardness