Patent ID: 7897198
Filing Date: 2011-03-01
Classification: C23C,H01L

Abstract:
1. A method of forming a metal layer on a surface of a partially fabricated semiconductor device substrate, the method comprising (a) contacting the surface of the semiconductor device substrate with a liquid reducing agent solution, wherein the reducing agent solution comprises insufficient metal ion to permit electroless plating of the metal; (b) contacting the surface of the semiconductor device substrate with a liquid metal ion solution, wherein the metal ion solution comprises insufficient reducing agent to permit electroless plating of the metal, whereby the metal ion reacts with the reducing agent at the substrate surface to electrolessly plate the metal on the substrate surface; and (c) repeating (a) and (b) one or more times to gradually build up the metal layer, wherein each repetition of (a) and (b) generates a thin metal layer, on the order of about 1 to 50 atomic layers.