Electroless plating method, electroless plating apparatus and storage medium

Abstract

A multiple number of accurately-patterned metal layers can be formed on a substrate. On a substrate 11 , a patterned first metal layer 12 is formed (see FIG. 1 A), and then, a metal sacrificial layer 15 is formed on the first metal layer 12 (see FIG. 1 B). Further, an aqueous solution containing an ionized metal allowed to be substituted with a metal of the metal sacrificial layer 15 is coated on the metal sacrificial layer 15 , so that a catalyst layer 16 is formed on the metal sacrificial layer 15 (see FIG. 1 E) . Thereafter, a second metal layer 18 is formed on the catalyst layer 16 by performing an electroless plating process (see FIG. 1 F). Furthermore, the substrate 11 is etched by using the second metal layer 18 as a mask.

We claim: 
     
         1 . An electroless plating method of performing an electroless plating process on a substrate on which a patterned first metal layer made of a metal compound which does not have catalytic property and a metal sacrificial layer are formed in sequence, the electroless plating method comprising:
 forming a catalyst layer on the metal sacrificial layer by coating, on the metal sacrificial layer, an aqueous solution containing an ionized metal allowed to be substituted with a metal of the metal sacrificial layer; and   forming a second metal layer by performing the electroless plating process on the catalyst layer.   
     
     
         2 . The electroless plating method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 forming the patterned first metal layer formed of the metal compound which does not have the catalytic property on the substrate before the forming of the catalyst layer; and   forming the metal sacrificial layer on the first metal layer.   
     
     
         3 . The electroless plating method of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the metal compound of the first metal layer is formed of TiN or TaN.   
     
     
         4 . The electroless plating method of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the metal of the metal sacrificial layer is formed of Ti, W, Cu, Ni or Co.   
     
     
         5 . The electroless plating method of  claim 1 ,
 wherein a metal of the catalyst layer is formed of Pd, Au or Pt.   
     
     
         6 . The electrodes plating method of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the second metal layer is formed of an electroless plating layer of Ni.   
     
     
         7 . An electroless plating apparatus that performs an electroless plating process on a substrate on which a patterned first metal layer made of a metal compound which does not have catalytic property and a metal sacrificial layer are formed in sequence, the electroless plating apparatus comprising:
 a catalyst layer forming unit configured to form a catalyst layer on the metal sacrificial layer by coating, on the metal sacrificial layer, an aqueous solution containing an ionized metal allowed to be substituted with a metal of the metal sacrificial layer; and   a second metal layer forming unit configured to form a second metal layer by performing the electroless plating process on the catalyst layer.   
     
     
         8 . The electroless plating apparatus of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 a first metal layer forming unit configured to form the patterned first metal layer formed of the metal compound which does not have the catalytic property on the substrate before forming the catalyst layer; and   a metal sacrificial layer forming unit configured to form the metal sacrificial layer on the first metal layer.   
     
     
         9 . The electroless plating apparatus of  claim 7 ,
 wherein the metal compound of the first metal layer is formed of TiN or TaN.   
     
     
         10 . The electroless plating apparatus of  claim 7 ,
 wherein the metal of the metal sacrificial layer is formed of Ti, W, Cu, Ni or Co.   
     
     
         11 . The electroless plating apparatus of  claim 7 ,
 wherein a metal of the catalyst layer is formed of Pd, Au or Pt.   
     
     
         12 . The electrodes plating apparatus of  claim 7 ,
 wherein the second metal layer is formed of an electroless plating layer of Ni.   
     
     
         13 . A computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, in response to execution, cause an electroless plating apparatus to perform an electroless plating method of performing an electroless plating process on a substrate on which a patterned first metal layer made of a metal compound which does not have catalytic property and a metal sacrificial layer is formed in sequence,
 wherein the electroless plating method comprises:   forming a catalyst layer on the metal sacrificial layer by coating, on the metal sacrificial layer, an aqueous solution containing an ionized metal allowed to be substituted with a metal of the metal sacrificial layer; and   forming a second metal layer by performing the electroless plating process on the catalyst layer.