Patent ID: 8778797

Claim:
A method for processing a substrate, comprising: providing a substrate including a metal layer, a dielectric layer arranged on the metal layer, and at least one of a via and a trench formed in the dielectric layer; depositing metal using chemical vapor deposition (CVD) during a first deposition period, wherein the first deposition period is longer than a first nucleation delay period that is required to deposit the metal on the metal layer; stopping the first deposition period prior to a second nucleation delay period, wherein the second nucleation delay period is required to deposit the metal on the dielectric layer; performing a growth interruption treatment to interrupt growth of the metal on the dielectric layer, wherein the growth interruption treatment comprises one of: an ammonia soak during a soak period; or a fluorine soak during a soak period; performing the depositing and the stopping N times, where N is an integer greater than or equal to one; and after the performing, depositing the metal using CVD during a second deposition period that is longer than the second nucleation delay period.