Patent ID: 6921712

Claim:
A process for producing an integrated circuit comprising at least partially reducing a metal oxide layer to an elemental metal with a gaseous organic compound selected from the group consisting of: (a) organic compounds comprising at least one alcohol (—OH) group and selected from the group consisting of primary alcohols, secondary alcohols, tertiary alcohols, polyhydroxy alcohols, cyclic alcohols, aromatic alcohols, halogenated alcohols and other derivatives of alcohols; (b) organic compounds comprising at least one aldehyde (—CHO) group and selected from the group consisting of: (i) compounds having the general formula (V) R 3 —CHO (V) wherein R 3 is hydrogen or a linear or branched C 1 -C 20 alkyl or alkenyl group, (ii) compounds having the general formula (VI) OHC—R 4 —CHO (VI) wherein R 4 is zero or a linear or branched C 1 -C 20 saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon, (iii) halogenated aldehydes, and (iv) other derivatives of aldehydes; and (C) organic compounds comprising at least one carboxylic acid (—COOH) group and selected from the group consisting of: (i) compounds having the general formula (VII) R 5 COOH (VII) wherein R 5 is hydrogen or a linear or branched C 1 -C 20 alkyl or alkenyl group, (ii) polycarboxylic acids, (iii) halogenated carboxylic acids, and (iv) other derivatives of carboxylic acids.