Importance

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Abstract

Electroless plating of very thin metal films, such as copper, is accomplished with a spray processor. Atomized droplets or a continuous stream of an electroless plating solution are sprayed on a substrate. The electroless plating solution may be prepared by mixing a reducing solution and a metal stock solution immediately prior to the spraying. The deposition process may be carried out in an apparatus which includes metal stock solution and reducing reservoirs, a mixing chamber for forming the plating solution, optionally an inert gas or air (oxygen) source, a process chamber in which the solution is sprayed on the substrate and a control system for providing solutions to the mixing chamber and the process chamber in accordance with a predetermined program for automated mixing and spraying of the plating solution. The process can be used to form metal films as thin as 100 .ANG. and these films have low resistivity values approaching bulk values, low surface roughness, excellent electrical and thickness uniformity and mirror-like surface. Low temperature annealing may be used to further improve electrical characteristics of the deposited films. The thin metal films produced by the disclosed process can be used in semiconductor wafer fabrication and assembly, and in preparation of thin film discs, thin film heads, optical storage devices, sensor devices, microelectromachined sensors (MEMS) and actuators, and optical filters.

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First Claim