Patent · US Expired

Selective area nucleation and growth method for metal chemical vapor deposition using focused ion beams

US4908226A · kind A · utility

46Cited by
2References
44Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMay 23, 1988
Grant dateMar 13, 1990
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 23, 2008

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S977/89
  • WIPO fieldSurface technology, coating
  • WIPO sectorChemistry

Abstract

A method for depositing metallic lines on an IC chip or mask is described using a focused ion beam (FIB) with a much lower ion dosage than previously required, on the order of 10.sup.14 -10.sup.15 ions/cm.sup.2. A substrate is scanned with the FIB to produce a series of nucleation sites on the substrate surface. These nucleation sites can be in an adlayer or can be produced by lattice damage or sputtering directly in the substrate material. The substrate is then exposed to a source gas containing the material to be deposited, while heated to a temperature slightly less than the spontaneous thermal decomposition temperature of the source gas. This results in a well-defined line of materials being deposited from the source gas along the line defined by the nucleation sites. The ratio of the spontaneous activation energy to the autocatalytic activation energy for the gases is preferably at least about an order of magnitude, and the FIB is preferably moved in multiple scans across the desired line. In a particular embodiment both the adlayer and source gas comprise iron pentacarbonyl, an ion dosage of 3.times.10.sup.14 ions/cm.sup.2 is used, and the substrate is heated to approximately…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.