Abstract:
A method of depositing a copper interconnection layer on a substrate such on a glass substrate for use e.g. in TFT-LCD flat panel interconnection system. The method according to the invention comprising the steps of: a) optionally cleaning the substrate, b) optionally micro-etching the substrate, c) depositing a catalyzation layer on the substrate to obtain a catalyzed substrate, d) conditioning the catalyzed substrate with a conditioning solution to obtain a conditioned catalyzed substrate, e) plating the catalyzed substrate with a NiP layer by contacting said substrate or at least a portion thereof with a wet bath mixture comprising precursors of Ni and P, f) depositing a copper catalyst layer onto the plated NiP layer, depositing a Cu layer on said copper catalyst layer.
Abstract:
Methods and apparatus are provided for forming a metal or metal silicide layer by an electroless deposition technique. In one aspect, a method is provided for processing a substrate including depositing an initiation layer on a substrate surface, cleaning the substrate surface, and depositing a conductive material on the initiation layer by exposing the initiation layer to an electroless solution. The method may further comprise etching the substrate surface with an acidic solution and cleaning the substrate of the acidic solution prior to depositing the initiation layer. The initiation layer may be formed by exposing the substrate surface to a noble metal electroless solution or a borane-containing solution. The conductive material may be deposited with a borane-containing reducing agent. The conductive material may be used as a passivation layer, a barrier layer, a seed layer, or for use in forming a metal silicide layer.
Abstract:
Orthophosphite ions produced by oxidation of hypophosphite in an electroless nickel plating bath can be removed by precipitation with an alkali metal or alkaline earth metal cation such as calcium. In order to avoid the precipitation of calcium sulfate and the generation of large amounts of particulates in the bath, nickel sulfate can be replaced by a nickel salt of an alkylsulfonic acid or hypophosphorous acid, whose anion forms a soluble salt with an alkali metal or alkaline earth metal cation.