Methods of forming metal-containing films over surfaces of semiconductor substrates

A method of forming a metal-containing layer over a surface of a semiconductor substrate, comprising:

• providing a silicon-containing semiconductor substrate;
• exposing a surface of the semiconductor substrate to a supercritical fluid;
• the supercritical fluid having H2, at least one H2-activating catalyst, and at least one metal-containing precursor, different from said at least one catalyst, dispersed therein;
• the H2-activating catalyst including at least one of palladium, rhodium, iridium and ruthenium;
• and
• forming a metal-containing layer over at least a portion of the surface of the semiconductor substrate from metal of the at least one metal-containing precursor.

A method of forming a metal-containing layer over a surface of a semiconductor substrate, comprising:

• exposing the surface of the semiconductor substrate to a supercritical fluid;
• the supercritical fluid having H2, at least one H2-activating catalyst, and at least one metal-containing precursor, different from said at least one catalyst, dispersed therein;
• the metal of the metal-containing precursor comprising one or more of copper, cobalt and gold;
• and
• forming a metal-containing layer over at least a portion of the surface of the semiconductor substrate from metal of the at least one metal-containing precursor;
• the metal containing layer having from greater than 0 atom % to less than or equal to 5 atom % of the catalyst incorporated therein and consisting essentially of the catalyst and the metal of the metal-containing precursor.

A method of forming a metal-containing layer over a surface of a semiconductor substrate, comprising:

• providing H2, at least one metal-containing precursor, and a metal complex of a catalyst, different from said at least one metal-containing precursor, within a reaction chamber;
• the catalyst including at least one of palladium, iridium, rhodium and ruthenium;
• the metal of the metal-containing precursor being copper, cobalt or gold;
• forming a supercritical fluid within the reaction chamber;
• utilizing the catalyst to form activated hydrogen within the supercritical fluid from the H2;
• utilizing the activated hydrogen to form metal from the metal-containing precursor;
• and
• forming a layer of the metal over at least a portion of the surface of a semiconductor substrate.