US6107199A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Method for improving the morphology of refractory metal thin films
Assignee: International Business Machines Corp
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Filing: 1998-10-24
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Granted: 2000-08-22
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Expires: 2018-10-24
Abstract
Abstract A method of producing a smooth surface for a film of refractory metallic material is realized by placing a substrate in a CVD reactor; initiating deposition of a layer of two phase material via concurrent introduction into the CVD reactor of a precursor gas and molecular oxygen, the latter at a pressure between about 1×10 -6 and 1×10 -4 ; and annealing the treated layer at the deposition temperature.
Inventors
- 👤 Russell D. Allen
- 👤 F. Read McFeely
- 👤 Cevdet I. Noyan
- 👤 John J. Yurkas
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 02:43
CPC Classifications
C; C23; C23C; C23C16/00; C23C14/00; C23C14/58; C23C14/5806; C23C14/06; C23C14/14; C23C14/18; C23C14/185; C23C16/06; C23C16/56
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
95 words
A method of producing a smooth surface for a film of refractory metallic material comprising: placing a substrate in a CVD reactor; initiating deposition of a layer of two phase material via concurrent introduction into said CVD reactor of a precursor gas and molecular oxygen, the latter at a pressure between about 1×10 -6 and 1×10 -4 Torr; annealing said layer at a temperature less than or equal to the deposition temperature, to transform said two phase material to a single phase to produce a film with substantially reduced surface roughness and altered grain structure.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
95 words
A method of producing a smooth surface for a film of refractory metallic material comprising: placing a substrate in a CVD reactor; initiating deposition of a layer of two phase material via concurrent introduction into said CVD reactor of a precursor gas and molecular oxygen, the latter at a pressure between about 1×10 -6 and 1×10 -4 Torr; annealing said layer at a temperature less than or equal to the deposition temperature, to transform said two phase material to a single phase to produce a film with substantially reduced surface roughness and altered grain structure.
Claim 3
Independent Claim
87 words
A method of producing a smooth surface for a film of refractory metallic material comprising: sputtering a refractory metal onto a substrate via the introduction of molecular oxygen at a pressure of between about 1×10 -6 and 1×10 -4 Torr to obtain a two-phase surface of refractory metal on said substrate; annealing said layer at temperature in the range of 80° C. or above, to transform said two phase material to a single phase to produce a film with substantially reduced surface roughness and altered grain structure.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
87 words
A method of producing a smooth surface for a film of refractory metallic material comprising: sputtering a refractory metal onto a substrate via the introduction of molecular oxygen at a pressure of between about 1×10 -6 and 1×10 -4 Torr to obtain a two-phase surface of refractory metal on said substrate; annealing said layer at temperature in the range of 80° C. or above, to transform said two phase material to a single phase to produce a film with substantially reduced surface roughness and altered grain structure.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method of producing a smooth surface for a film of refractory metallic material defined in claim 1 wherein said refractory material is selected from the group consisting of molybdenum, niobium, tantalum and tungsten.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of producing a smooth surface for a film of refractory metallic material defined in claim 1 wherein said refractory material is tungsten.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of producing a smooth surface for a film of refractory metallic material defined in claim 3 wherein said CVD precursor gas comprises tungsten hexacarbonyl.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of producing a smooth surface for a film of refractory metallic material defined in claim 1 wherein said substrate comprises silicon, silicon dioxide or silicon nitride.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of producing a smooth surface for a film of refractory metallic material defined in claim 3 wherein said substrate comprises silicon, silicon dioxide or silicon nitride.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of producing a smooth surface for a film of refractory metallic material defined in claim 4 wherein said substrate comprises silicon, silicon dioxide or silicon nitride.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method of producing a smooth surface for a film of refractory metallic material defined in claim 2 wherein said refractory material is selected from the group consisting of molybdenum, niobium, tantalum and tungsten.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of producing a smooth surface for a film of refractory metallic material defined in claim 2 wherein said refractory material is tungsten.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of producing a smooth surface for a film of refractory metallic material defined in claim 2 wherein said substrate comprises silicon, silicon dioxide or silicon nitride.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of producing a smooth surface for a film of refractory metallic material defined in claim 10 wherein said substrate comprises silicon, silicon dioxide or silicon nitride.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method of producing a smooth surface for a film of refractory metallic material defined in claim 1 wherein said deposition is accomplished at a temperature in the range of between about 200° C. and 600° C.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
41 words
The method of producing a smooth surface for a film of refractory metallic material defined in claim 13 wherein said refractory material is tungsten; said substrate comprises silicon, silicon dioxide or silicon nitride; and said CVD precursor gas comprises tungsten hexacarbonyl.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2003-08-22 | 2004-02-21 | 2004-08-22 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2007-08-22 | 2008-02-21 | 2008-08-22 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2011-08-22 | 2012-02-21 | 2012-08-22 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |