Patent•
Electroless nickel plating solution and method
17 Sep 1997-
TL;DR: In this article, a high-build electroless gold plating method comprising the steps of immersing a workpiece in the electroless nickel plating bath, thereby chemically depositing a nickel coating on the workpiece, and then inserting the nickel-plated workpiece into an electroless girding bath, where the gold coating was chemically deposited.
Abstract: To an electroless nickel plating solution comprising a water-soluble nickel salt, a reducing agent, and a complexing agent is added a polythionate or dithionite. The invention also provides a high-build electroless gold plating method comprising the steps of immersing a workpiece in the electroless nickel plating bath, thereby chemically depositing a nickel coating on the workpiece, and immersing the nickel-plated workpiece in an electroless gold plating bath, thereby chemically depositing a gold coating on the workpiece.
Citations
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20 Dec 2011TL;DR: In this paper, a capacitively coupled plasma (CCP) unit is described inside a process chamber, and a pedestal is positioned below a gas reaction region into which the activated gas travels from the CCP unit.
Abstract: 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.
236 citations
Patent•
08 Mar 2013TL;DR: In this paper, the authors describe a system that includes a first 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.
Abstract: 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.
235 citations
Patent•
30 Jun 2006TL;DR: In this paper, the authors describe 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.
Abstract: 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.
232 citations
Patent•
28 Jan 2002TL;DR: In this paper, a method of depositing a catalytic layer comprising at least one metal selected from the group consisting of noble metals, semi-noble metals, alloys thereof, and combinations thereof in sub-micron features formed on a substrate is described.
Abstract: An apparatus and a method of depositing a catalytic layer comprising at least one metal selected from the group consisting of noble metals, semi-noble metals, alloys thereof, and combinations thereof in sub-micron features formed on a substrate. Examples of noble metals include palladium and platinum. Examples of semi-noble metals include cobalt, nickel, and tungsten. The catalytic layer may be deposited by electroless deposition, electroplating, or chemical vapor deposition. In one embodiment, the catalytic layer may be deposited in the feature to act as a barrier layer to a subsequently deposited conductive material. In another embodiment, the catalytic layer may be deposited over a barrier layer. In yet another embodiment, the catalytic layer may be deposited over a seed layer deposited over the barrier layer to act as a “patch” of any discontinuities in the seed layer. Once the catalytic layer has been deposited, a conductive material, such as copper, may be deposited over the catalytic layer. In one embodiment, the conductive material is deposited over the catalytic layer by electroless deposition. In another embodiment, the conductive material is deposited over the catalytic layer by electroless deposition followed by electroplating or followed by chemical vapor deposition. In still another embodiment, the conductive material is deposited over the catalytic layer by electroplating or by chemical vapor deposition.
218 citations
Patent•
20 Mar 2006TL;DR: In this paper, a barrier layer is purposely allowed to react with traces of residual oxide at the silicon junction of the contact level feature to form a low resistance connection to fill the feature with a copper alloy by using an electroless deposition process.
Abstract: Embodiments of the invention generally provide methods of filling contact level features formed in a semiconductor device by depositing a barrier layer over the contact feature and then filing the layer using an PVD, CVD, ALD, electrochemical plating process (ECP) and/or electroless deposition processes. In one embodiment, the barrier layer has a catalytically active surface that will allow the electroless deposition of a metal on the barrier layer. In one aspect, the electrolessly deposited metal is copper or a copper alloy. In one aspect, the contact level feature is filled with a copper alloy by use of an electroless deposition process. In another aspect, a copper alloy is used to from a thin conductive copper layer that is used to subsequently fill features with a copper containing material by use of an ECP, PVD, CVD, and/or ALD deposition process. In one embodiment, a portion of the barrier layer is purposely allowed to react with traces of residual oxide at the silicon junction of the contact level feature to form a low resistance connection.
205 citations
References
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Patent•
18 Jan 1982
TL;DR: In this paper, an electroless nickel deposit is laid down over the copper layer and under the gold layer, which is a particular class of nickel-boron or nickel-phosphorus baths.
Abstract: Electrical contact materials are provided which belong to the general category of copper that is overplated with a noble metal, usually gold. The improvement resides in the provision of an electroless nickel deposit laid down over the copper layer and under the gold layer, which electroless nickel deposit is laid down from a particular class of nickel-boron or nickel-phosphorus baths.
49 citations
Patent•
13 Feb 1978
TL;DR: In this article, an adherent bright metallic coating which may be any metal or alloy capable of being deposited electrolessly, is applied to the surface of a plastic or other dielectric part (or to a metal part) by an electroless process comprising suitable pretreatment of said surface, deposition of a primary electroless copper to produce an underlayer, then depositing a bright secondary electroless coating of the desired metal (the overlayer) with complete elimination of any subsequent electroplating process.
Abstract: An adherent bright metallic coating which may be any metal or alloy capable of being deposited electrolessly, is applied to the surface of a plastic or other dielectric part (or to a metal part) by an electroless process comprising suitable pretreatment of said surface, deposition of a primary electroless copper to produce an underlayer, then depositing a bright secondary electroless coating of the desired metal (the overlayer) with complete elimination of any subsequent electroplating process [usually required to achieve this brightness]. The required overlayer may also be limited to selected surface areas of a coated part by mechanically removing portions of the primary electroless copper prior to immersion of the part in the secondary electroless bath to produce the desired overlayer metal.
44 citations
Patent•
21 May 1970
TL;DR: In this paper, it has been shown that the stability of an electroless nickel or cobalt plating solution can be substantially increased by the addition of a source of mercury ions alone as a primary stabilizer, or by adding the mercury ions as a secondary stabilizer.
Abstract: An electroless nickel or cobalt plating solution is characterized by the addition of a small but effective amount of a source of mercury ions for increased bath stability. It is known in the art that solutions for electroless plating are unstable and tend to decompose with use. It is also known that decomposition can be retarded and the useful life of a plating solution increased by the addition of various additives, frequently catalytic poisons, in very small concentrations. In accordance with the present invention, it has been found that the stability of an electroless nickel or cobalt plating solution can be substantially increased by the addition of a source of mercury ions alone as a primary stabilizer, or preferably, by the addition of the mercury ions as a secondary stabilizer in combination with a prior art stabilizer as primary stabilizer. The combination of stabilizers provides a synergism with stability substantially improved over that obtainable with either component of the combination alone. One characteristic of the present invention is the co-deposition of mercury in minute amounts with the plating metal.
32 citations
Patent•
11 Aug 1993
TL;DR: An electroless silver or gold plating solution comprising a noncyanide metal complex, a thiosulfate, a sulfite, and at least one amino acid is described in this paper.
Abstract: An electroless silver or gold plating solution comprising a noncyanide metal complex, a thiosulfate, a sulfite, and at least one amino acid. These electroless plating solutions containing an amino acid exhibit an accelerated plating rate compared to identical solutions lacking amino acids.
29 citations
Patent•
20 Apr 1988TL;DR: In this paper, an electroless gold plating solution, a method of plating by using the same, and an electronic device plated with gold was presented, which is safe in the plating work and in the treatment of its waste liquor.
Abstract: The present invention relates to an electroless gold plating solution, a method of plating by using the same, and an electronic device plated with gold by using the same. According to the present electroless gold plating solution, the plating solution components contain no cyanide ions, the amount of a reducing agent used is small, and gold plating can be carried out without causing the gold plating on conducting paths having a fine interval between them to short-circuit the conducting paths. Therefore, according to the method of gold plating by using said electroless gold plating solution, a plating method that is safe in the plating work and in the treatment of its waste liquor can be accomplished. The method has a feature that the method can provide an electronic device on which parts can be mounted highly densely, and wherein the joint reliability to the parts is high.
23 citations