Patent ID: 8404577

Claim:
A method, comprising: providing a substrate having a metallization layer with at least one metal feature, wherein said substrate comprises a dielectric material layer having a recess and providing a substrate having a metallization layer comprises depositing a metal feature material in said recess by overfilling said recess with said metal feature material, thereby depositing metal feature material above a surface of said dielectric material and planarizing said substrate after depositing said metal feature material, thereby removing metal feature material extending above said surface of said dielectric material; forming a grain orientation layer above said metal feature and in direct contact with said metal feature after planarizing said substrate, wherein said grain orientation layer comprises a material different than said metal feature; annealing said metal feature after forming said grain orientation layer to thereby increase a percentage of grains in said metal feature which have said predetermined grain orientation, wherein, during said annealing, said grain orientation layer energetically favors a predetermined grain orientation of grains in said metal feature compared to other grain orientations of grains in said metal feature; and selectively removing said grain orientation layer after said annealing of said metal feature, wherein grain orientation layer material of said grain orientation layer diffused into said metal feature is completely removed during the removing of said grain orientation layer.