Method and system for controlling the presence of fluorine in refractory metal layers

A method for forming a tungsten layer on a substrate surface, comprising:

• (a) positioning a substrate at a first deposition station within a deposition system comprising at least two deposition stations;
• (b) flowing a reducing gas into the first deposition station, whereby the reducing gas is adsorbed onto a substrate surface of the substrate to form an adsorbed reducing gas layer;
• (c) purging the reducing gas from the first deposition station;
• (d) flowing a tungsten-containing gas into the first deposition station, whereby the tungsten-containing gas is exposed to the adsorbed reducing gas layer and is substantially reduced to form a tungsten film on the substrate surface;
• (e) purging the tungsten-containing gas from the first deposition station;
• (f) repeating (b) through (e) until a desired thickness of a tungsten nucleation layer is formed thereon;
• and
• (g) exposing the substrate to the tungsten-containing gas and a second reducing gas to deposit a tungsten bulk layer on the tungsten nucleation layer by a chemical vapor deposition process.

A method for forming a tungsten layer on a substrate surface, comprising:

• (a) positioning a substrate within a deposition chamber;
• (b) heating the substrate to a temperature of at least about 200° C. and pressurizing the deposition chamber to a pressure of at least about 1 Torr;
• (c) exposing a substrate surface of the substrate to an initiation gas;
• (d) flowing a reducing gas into the deposition chamber, whereby the reducing gas is adsorbed onto the substrate surface to form an adsorbed reducing gas layer;
• (e) purging the reducing gas from the deposition chamber;
• (f) flowing a tungsten-containing gas into the deposition chamber, whereby the tungsten-containing gas is exposed to the adsorbed reducing gas layer and is substantially reduced to form a tungsten film on the substrate surface;
• (g) purging the tungsten-containing gas from the deposition chamber;
• and
• (h) repeating (d) through (g) for one or more additional cycles to form a tungsten nucleation layer thereon.

A method for forming a tungsten layer on a substrate surface, comprising:

• positioning a substrate having a plurality of vias within a deposition chamber;
• exposing the substrate to an initiation gas;
• exposing the substrate to a reducing gas to form an adsorbed reducing gas layer;
• purging the reducing gas from the deposition chamber subsequent to forming the adsorbed reducing gas layer and prior to forming a tungsten film;
• exposing the substrate to a tungsten-containing gas to form the tungsten film within the vias;
• purging the tungsten-containing gas from the deposition chamber;
• repeating sequentially the exposing the substrate to the reducing gas and the tungsten-containing gas to form a tungsten nucleation layer thereon;
• and
• filling the vias with a tungsten bulk layer during a chemical vapor deposition process.