Patent ID: 8257781

Claim:
A method of conducting electroless deposition on an integrated circuit substrate, comprising processes of: flowing an electroless reactant liquid from a main reservoir through a feed conduit towards an electroless reaction vessel, wherein said flowing comprises flowing said electroless reactant liquid through an accumulation vessel integral in said feed conduit, wherein the temperature of the electroless reactant liquid in the electroless reaction vessel is higher than the temperature of the electroless reactant liquid in the main reservoir and wherein the electroless reactant liquid is heated in a portion of said feed conduit; purging a gaseous space above the electroless reactant liquid in said accumulation vessel with a purging gas; contacting the integrated circuit substrate with the heated electroless reactant liquid in said electroless reaction vessel to deposit a layer of material; flowing a recycle portion of the electroless reactant liquid from said electroless reaction vessel through a recycle conduit towards said main reservoir, wherein the recycle portion is cooled in said recycle conduit prior to entering the main reservoir, wherein the main reservoir, the feed conduit, the electroless reaction vessel and the recycle conduit are components of an electroless reactant liquid recirculation loop, and wherein the electroless reactant liquid comprises ions of electrolessly platable metal in the entirety of the recirculation loop.