US2011253545A1PendingUtilityA1

Method of direct electrodeposition on semiconductors

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Assignee: IBMPriority: Apr 19, 2010Filed: Apr 19, 2010Published: Oct 20, 2011
Est. expiryApr 19, 2030(~3.7 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Laura L. KosbarXiaoyan Shao
H10F 77/211H10F 71/00H10F 77/30H10F 10/00Y02E10/50C25D 5/18C25D 7/123C25D 5/024C25D 3/12C25D 3/562
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Claims

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a method of electrodeposition of a metal or metal alloy on at least one surface of a semiconductor material. The method of the present invention provides full coverage of an electrodeposited metallic film on the at least one surface of the semiconductor material. The method of the present disclosure includes providing a semiconductor material. A metallic film is applied to at least one surface of the semiconductor material by an electrodeposition process. The electrodeposition process employed uses current waveforms that apply a low current density initially, and after a predetermined period of time, the current density is changed to a high current density.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
1 . A method of forming a metallic film on a surface of a semiconductor material comprising:
 providing a semiconductor material having at least one surface; and   electrodepositing a metallic film on the at least one surface of the semiconductor material, wherein said electrodepositing includes electroplating a metal or metal alloy from an electroplating bath in which a first current density is employed for a first period of time, and after said first period of time, a second current density is applied for a second period of time, wherein said first current density is lower than the second current density.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said providing the semiconductor material includes selecting from one of Si, Ge, SiGe, SiC, SiGeC, GaAs, GaN, InAs, InP and all other III/V and II/VI compound semiconductors. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said providing the semiconductor material includes selecting an n-type doped semiconductor material or a p-type doped semiconductor material. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said providing the semiconductor material includes selecting a semiconductor material including a p-type semiconductor portion that is doped with a p-type dopant, and an overlying n-type semiconductor portion that is doped with an n-type dopant. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising forming a patterned antireflective coating on a portion of said at least one surface of said semiconductor material. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said electroplating bath includes metal salts of Ni, Co, Cu, Zn, Pt, Ag, Pd, Sn, Fe, In or alloys thereof. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  wherein said electroplating bath includes metal salts of Ni or a Ni alloy. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6  wherein said electroplating bath further includes one or more brighteners, suppressors, surfactants, inorganic acids, organic acids, alkali metal salts, and pH adjusting compounds. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said first current density is within a range from 5 mAmps/cm 2  to 40 mAmps/cm 2 , and said second current density is greater than 40 mAmps/cm 2 . 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  wherein said second current density is from greater than 40 mAmps/cm 2  to 200 mAmps/cm 2 . 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said first period of time is from 5 seconds to 120 seconds, and the second period of time is from 1 second to 1 hour. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said first current density is continuously ramped up to said second current density. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said first current density is ramped up to the second current density utilizing various ramp-up and soak cycles. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said electrodepositing is performed in the presence of light having an intensity of greater than 5000 Lux. 
     
     
         15 . A method of forming a metallic film on a surface of a semiconductor material comprising:
 providing a semiconductor material having at least one surface; and   electrodepositing a metallic film on the at least one surface of the semiconductor material, wherein said electrodepositing includes a waveform comprising a low current density of from 5 mAmps/cm 2  to 40 mAmps/cm 2  performed for a first period of time, followed by a high current density of greater than 40 mAmps/cm 2  performed for a second period of time.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein said providing the semiconductor material includes selecting from one of Si, Ge, SiGe, SiC, SiGeC, GaAs, GaN, InAs, InP and all other III/V and II/VI compound semiconductors. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15  wherein said providing the semiconductor material includes selecting an n-type doped semiconductor material or a p-type doped semiconductor material. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15  wherein said providing the semiconductor material includes selecting a semiconductor material including a p-type semiconductor portion that is doped with a p-type dopant, and an overlying n-type semiconductor portion that is doped with an n-type dopant. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15  further comprising forming a patterned antireflective coating on a portion of said at least one surface of said semiconductor material. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15  wherein said electroplating bath includes metal salts of Ni, Co, Cu, Zn, Pt, Ag, Pd, Sn, Fe, In or alloys thereof. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20  wherein said electroplating bath includes metal salts of Ni or a Ni alloy. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 20  wherein said electroplating bath further includes one or more brighteners, suppressors, surfactants, inorganic acids, organic acids, alkali metal salts, and pH adjusting compounds. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 15  wherein said second current density is from greater than 40 mAmps/cm 2  to 200 mAmps/cm 2 . 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 15  wherein said first period of time is from 5 seconds to 120 seconds, and the second period of time is from 1 second to 1 hour. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 15  wherein said first current density is continuously ramped up to said second current density. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 15  wherein said first current density is ramped up to the second current density utilizing various ramp-up and soak cycles. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 15  wherein said electrodepositing is performed in the presence of light having an intensity of greater than 5000 Lux.

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