US 12,237,221 B2
Nucleation-free tungsten deposition
Sema Ermez, Santa Clara, CA (US); Ruopeng Deng, San Jose, CA (US); Yutaka Nishioka, Saijo-cho (JP); Xiaolan Ba, Fremont, CA (US); Sanjay Gopinath, Fremont, CA (US); and Michal Danek, Cupertino, CA (US)
Assigned to Lam Research Corporation, Fremont, CA (US)
Appl. No. 17/595,590
Filed by Lam Research Corporation, Fremont, CA (US)
PCT Filed May 18, 2020, PCT No. PCT/US2020/033461
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Nov. 19, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/236749, PCT Pub. Date Nov. 26, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/851,552, filed on May 22, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0254685 A1, Aug. 11, 2022
Int. Cl. H01L 21/768 (2006.01); C23C 16/08 (2006.01); C23C 16/455 (2006.01); H01L 21/285 (2006.01)
CPC H01L 21/76876 (2013.01) [C23C 16/08 (2013.01); C23C 16/45525 (2013.01); H01L 21/28568 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method comprising:
depositing an elemental tungsten bulk layer without depositing a tungsten nucleation layer on a surface of a substrate by:
forming a layer comprising elemental boron (B) on the surface; and
after forming the layer, performing multiple cycles of exposing the substrate to alternating pulses of a tungsten fluoride compound and hydrogen (H2) to thereby form the elemental tungsten bulk layer on the surface.