Method for purifying a metal carbonyl precursor

A method of processing one or more substrates using a metal carbonyl precursor, the method comprising:

• purifying a metal carbonyl precursor in a metal precursor vaporization system where the metal carbonyl precursor comprises a first amount of a metal particulate impurity, wherein the metal particulate impurity includes at least one metal that is different from the metal of the metal carbonyl precursor, the purifying comprising:
• flowing a first CO-containing gas through the metal precursor vaporization system to a precursor collection system in fluid communication with the metal precursor vaporization system to separate the metal carbonyl precursor from the metal particulate impurity and to transfer the metal carbonyl precursor to the precursor collection system,
• collecting the metal carbonyl precursor in the precursor collection system, wherein a second amount of the metal particulate impurity in the precursor collection system is less than the first amount, and the precursor collection system is maintained at a lower temperature than the metal precursor vaporization system;
• and
• processing a substrate in a process chamber by evaporating the metal carbonyl precursor in the precursor collection system and delivering the vapor of the metal carbonyl precursor to the process chamber by flowing a second CO-containing gas through the precursor collection system.

A method of purifying a metal carbonyl precursor, the method comprising:

• (a) providing a first system in fluid communication with a second system, the first and second systems each configured to evaporate a metal carbonyl precursor;
• (b) providing the metal carbonyl precursor to the first system, where the metal carbonyl precursor comprises a metal particulate impurity, wherein the metal particulate impurity includes at least one metal that is different from the metal of the metal carbonyl precursor;
• (c) flowing a first CO-containing gas through the first system to the second system to separate the metal carbonyl precursor from the metal particulate impurity and to transfer the metal carbonyl precursor to the second system;
• (d) halting the flowing in step (c) when the metal carbonyl precursor has been transferred to the second system and cleaning the first system of any metal particulate impurity;
• (e) flowing a second CO-containing gas through the second system to the first system to separate the metal carbonyl precursor from any metal particulate impurity and to transfer the metal carbonyl precursor to the first system;
• (f) halting the flowing in step (e) when the metal carbonyl precursor has been transferred to the first system and cleaning the second system of any metal particulate impurity;
• and
• (g) repeating steps (c) through (f) a desired number of times.