# US 10,480,066 B2 · Metal deposition methods

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- Number: US 10,480,066 B2
- Document ID: US10480066B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/123,437
- Filed: 2018-09-06
- Published: 2019-09-05
- Granted: 2019-11-19
- Earliest claimed: 2015-12-19
- Assignees: Applied Materials, Inc.
- Applicants: Applied Materials, Inc.
- Inventors: Yong Wu; Srinivas Gandikota; Abhijit Basu Mallick
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10480066B2

## CPC

- C23C 16/14: Deposition of only one other metal element
- C23C 16/0281: {of metallic sub-layers (C23C16/029 takes precedence)}
- C23C 16/45525: {Atomic layer deposition [ALD]}
- C23C 16/45553: {characterized by the use of precursors specially adapted for ALD}
- H10P 14/418: {the conductive layers comprising transition metals}
- C23C: COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL (making metal-coated products by extrusion B21C23/22; covering with metal by connecting pre-existing layers to articles, see the relevant places, e.g. B21D39/00, B23K; metallising of glass C03C; metallising mortars, concrete, artificial stone, ceramics or natural stone C04B41/00; enamelling of, or applying a vitreous layer to, metals C23D; treating metal surfaces or coating of metals by electrolysis or electrophoresis C25D; single-crystal film growth C30B; by metallising textiles D06M11/83; decorating textiles by locally metallising D06Q1/04)
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10

## Abstract

A method of forming conformal amorphous metal films is disclosed. A method of forming crystalline metal films with a predetermined orientation is also disclosed. An amorphous nucleation layer is formed on a substrate surface. An amorphous metal layer is formed from the nucleation layer by atomic substitution. A crystalline metal layer is deposited on the amorphous metal layer by atomic layer deposition.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of forming an amorphous metal layer, the method comprising:
exposing a substrate surface of a substrate material to a nucleation precursor to form a conformal amorphous nucleation layer, the nucleation precursor comprising a silicon precursor with a general formula of SiaHbXc, where each X is a halogen independently selected from F, Cl, Br and I, a is any integer greater than or equal to 1, b and c are each less than or equal to 2a+2 and b+c is equal to 2a+2; and
converting the conformal amorphous nucleation layer to a conformal amorphous metal layer by substituting atoms of the conformal amorphous nucleation layer with metal atoms from a metal precursor.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate material consists essentially of a metal material.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate material comprises a dielectric material.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, wherein the substrate material comprises aluminum oxide or titanium nitride.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the nucleation precursor further comprises a boron precursor.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein the nucleation precursor comprises one or more species with a general formula of BdHeXfRg, where each X is a halogen independently selected from F, Cl, Br and I, each R is an independently selected C1-C4 alkyl group, d is any integer greater than or equal to 1, each of e, f and g is less than or equal to d+2 and e+f+g is equal to d+2.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the metal precursor comprises tungsten and the conformal amorphous metal layer comprises tungsten.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein the metal precursor comprises one or more of WF6, WCl6, WCl5, and W(CO)5.

### Claim 9

A method of forming an amorphous metal layer, the method comprising:
exposing a substrate surface of a substrate material to a nucleation precursor to form a conformal amorphous nucleation layer, the nucleation precursor comprising a boron precursor with a general formula of BdHeXfRg, where each X is a halogen independently selected from F, Cl, Br and I, each R is an independently selected C1-C4 alkyl group, d is any integer greater than or equal to 1, each of e, f and g is less than or equal to d+2 and e+f+g is equal to d+2; and
converting the conformal amorphous nucleation layer to a conformal amorphous metal layer by substituting atoms of the conformal amorphous nucleation layer with metal atoms from a metal precursor.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the substrate material consists essentially of a metal material.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the substrate material comprises a dielectric material.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the substrate material comprises aluminum oxide or titanium nitride.

### Claim 13 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the nucleation precursor further comprises a silicon precursor.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein the nucleation precursor comprises one or more species with a general formula of SiaHbXc, where each X is a halogen independently selected from F, Cl, Br and I, a is any integer greater than or equal to 1, b and c are each less than or equal to 2a+2 and b+c is equal to 2a+2.

### Claim 15 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the metal precursor comprises tungsten and the conformal amorphous metal layer comprises tungsten.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein the metal precursor comprises one or more of WF6, WCl6, WCl5, and W(CO)5.