Patent ID: 11859277
Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
Field: Surface technology, coating (Chemistry)
Classification: CPC C  H | IPC C

Claim 6:
7. A method of forming a seam-free gap fill, the method consisting of:
cleaning a first metal at a bottom of a feature on a substrate to remove oxides from the first metal, the feature comprising the bottom and at least one sidewall, the at least one sidewall comprising a dielectric;
depositing a second metal film in a feature on a substrate to partially fill the feature with the second metal film by a process using a zero-valent metal arene precursor and an alkyl halide catalyst, the alkyl halide catalyst exposed to the substrate prior to the zero-valent metal arene precursor such that a catalyst layer is formed on the first metal at the bottom and, optionally, on the dielectric, and the second metal film forms selectively on the bottom relative to the at least one sidewall and has a top surface below a top surface of the dielectric;
optionally exposing the substrate with the catalyst layer on the bottom of the feature to an anisotropic etch to remove any catalyst from the dielectric;
forming a blocking layer on the top surface of the second metal film, the blocking layer preventing deposition on the top surface of the second metal film;
depositing a liner on the sidewall of the feature above the second metal film and the top surface of the dielectric, substantially no liner deposited on the top surface of the second metal film within the feature;
removing the blocking layer from the top surface of the second metal film;
filling the feature with the second metal film to cover the liner and the top surface of the dielectric;
annealing the second metal film after filling the feature with the second metal film; and
removing the second metal film, the liner from the top surface of the dielectric and at least some of the dielectric, leaving some of the liner within the feature, to form a seam-free gap fill, wherein the first metal comprises one or more of cobalt, tungsten, ruthenium or molybdenum and the second metal film comprises one or more of tungsten, ruthenium or molybdenum.