Conductive material patterning methods
First Claim
1. A patterning method comprising:
- providing a first material;
transforming at a least a surface region of the first material to a second material;
converting one or more portions of the second material to one or more converted portions of first material while one or more portions of the second material remain; and
removing one or more portions of the remaining second material selectively relative to converted portions of first material.
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Abstract
A patterning method includes providing a first material (e.g., copper) and transforming at a least a surface region of the first material to a second material (e.g., copper oxide). One or more portions of the second material (e.g., copper oxide) are converted to one or more converted portions of first material. (e.g., copper) while one or more portions of the second material (e.g., copper oxide) remain. One or more portions of the remaining second material (e.g., copper oxide) are removed selectively relative to converted portions of first material (e.g., copper). Further, a thickness of the converted portions may be increased. Yet further, a diffusion barrier layer may be used for certain applications.
34 Citations
47 Claims
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1. A patterning method comprising:
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providing a first material;
transforming at a least a surface region of the first material to a second material;
converting one or more portions of the second material to one or more converted portions of first material while one or more portions of the second material remain; and
removing one or more portions of the remaining second material selectively relative to converted portions of first material. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A patterning method comprising:
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providing a layer on a substrate, the layer comprising a first chemical composition;
treating the layer comprising the first chemical composition to transform at least a region of the layer to a second chemical composition;
patterning the layer, wherein patterning the layer comprises;
converting one or more portions of the transformed region comprising the second chemical composition to one or more converted portions comprising the first chemical compositions with one or more portions comprising the second chemical composition remaining, and removing the one or more remaining portions comprising the second chemical composition selectively relative to the one or more converted portions comprising the first chemical composition. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A patterning method comprising:
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providing metal oxide comprising material on a substrate;
transforming one or more regions of the metal oxide comprising material to one or more regions of an elemental metal comprising material while leaving one or more remaining regions of the metal oxide comprising material; and
removing one or more of the remaining regions of the metal oxide comprising material selectively relative to the one or more regions of the elemental metal comprising material to form conductors on the substrate. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
forming an elemental metal comprising material on the substrate; and
oxidizing substantially all of the elemental metal comprising material to form the metal oxide comprising material.
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25. The method of claim 24, wherein the elemental metal comprising material is one of copper and a copper alloy, and further wherein the metal oxide comprising material comprises copper oxide.
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26. The method of claim 25, wherein the elemental metal comprising material consists essentially of copper and further wherein the metal oxide comprising material consists essentially of copper oxide.
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27. The method of claim 23, wherein transforming the one or more regions of the metal oxide comprising material comprises exposing the metal oxide comprising material to radiation.
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28. The method of claim 23, wherein removing the one or more of the remaining regions of the metal oxide comprising material comprises etching one or more of the remaining regions of the metal oxide comprising material with a gaseous etchant.
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29. The method of claim 28, wherein the metal oxide comprising material comprises copper oxide, and further wherein the gaseous etchant comprises hexafluoroacetylacetone.
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30. The method of claim 23, wherein the method further comprises increasing a thickness of the conductors on the substrate.
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31. The method of claim 23, wherein the substrate includes a silicon region and further wherein the method comprises the step of forming a diffusion barrier material prior to providing the metal oxide comprising material on the substrate.
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32. The method of claim 23, wherein the substrate comprises an elemental metal.
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33. The method of claim 32, wherein the method further comprises removing at least some of the elemental metal that was beneath the removed metal oxide comprising material.
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34. A patterning method comprising:
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providing a metal oxide comprising material on a substrate;
exposing one or more regions of the metal oxide comprising material to radiation to transform the exposed regions to one or more regions of elemental metal comprising material while leaving one or more remaining regions of metal oxide comprising material; and
removing one or more of the remaining regions of metal oxide comprising material selectively relative to the one or more regions of elemental metal comprising material. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
forming a layer of elemental metal comprising material on a substrate; and
oxidizing substantially all of the elemental metal comprising material to form the metal oxide comprising material.
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36. The method of claim 34, wherein the elemental metal comprising material is one of copper and a copper alloy, and further wherein the metal oxide comprising material comprises copper oxide.
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37. The method of claim 36, wherein the elemental metal comprising material consists essentially of copper and the metal oxide comprising material consists essentially of copper oxide.
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38. The method of claim 37, wherein removing one or more of the remaining regions of metal oxide comprising material selectively relative to the one or more regions of elemental metal comprising material comprises exposing the one or more of the remaining regions of the metal oxide comprising material to an etchant.
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39. The method of claim 34, wherein the method further comprises increasing a thickness of the one or more regions of elemental metal comprising material.
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40. A metal conductor patterning method comprising:
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providing a layer of copper on a substrate;
transforming at least a surface region of the copper to a copper oxide;
converting one or more portions of the copper oxide to one or more converted portions of copper while at least other portions of the copper oxide remain; and
removimg substantially all of the portions of the copper oxide remaining relative to the converted portions of copper resulting in copper conductors on the substrate. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47)
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Specification