Patent ID: 8591985

Claim:
A method for processing a microelectronic topography, wherein the microelectronic topography is a substrate resulting from or used for fabrication of a microelectronic device or circuit, the method comprising: dispensing an electroless plating solution upon a microelectronic topography arranged within an electroless plating chamber; introducing a gas into the electroless plating chamber above a plate suspended above the microelectronic topography, wherein step of introducing the gas into the electroless plating chamber is initiated during a time which one of prior to, during, or subsequent to the step of dispensing the electroless plating solution; and distributing the gas to regions between the plate and one or more discrete portions of the microelectronic topography upon which there is electroless plating solution such that the electroless plating solution at the one or more discrete portions evaporates faster than electroless plating solution upon other regions of the microelectronic topography and such that a periodic variation of concentrations of at least one element is induced within a film formed on microelectronic topography by the electroless plating solution.