System for selective depositions of materials to surfaces and substrates

Abstract

A system is described for selectively depositing materials to surfaces at preselected locations and at controlled thicknesses. Materials can be further selectively deposited to sub-surfaces of composite or structured silicon wafers, e.g., for the deposition of barrier films on silicon wafer surfaces, e.g., to fill substrate feature patterns (vias). The invention finds application in such commercial processes as semiconductor chip manufacturing. The system is envisioned to provide alternatives to, or decreased need for, chemical mechanical planarization in semiconductor chip manufacturing.

1 . A system for selective deposition, comprising:
 a chamber for staging a substrate having a deposition surface;   a delivery system that provides a solvent and a precursor miscible in said solvent at a liquid, near-critical, or supercritical temperature for said solvent, said precursor comprising a deposition material releasable to said surface at a release temperature for said precursor;   a heat source(s) for heating said substrate;   said surface of said substrate is disposed in an operable thermal relationship with said heat source(s) for generating a temperature gradient at, in, on, through, or along said surface; and   wherein heating of said substrate releases said deposition material at said release temperature from said precursor whereby said deposition material is selectively deposited to said surface in response to said temperature gradient thereby controlling location and/or thickness of said deposition material at, on, in, or along said surface.   
   
   
       2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said deposition surface includes a surface selected from the group consisting of bottom, flat, horizontal, vertical, or combinations thereof. 
   
   
       3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said temperature gradient comprises a two-dimensional or three dimensional temperature gradient for controlling deposition selectively to said surface. 
   
   
       4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein generation of said temperature gradient comprises use of temperature programming 
   
   
       5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said system is a component of a wafer fabrication or wafer manufacturing system. 
   
   
       6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said solvent further comprises at least one chemical additive or reagent selected from the group consisting of reducing agents, oxidizing agents, catalytic agents, reactive chemical agents, non-reactive chemical agents, co-solvents, or combinations thereof.