Inventors:
Patrick W. DeHaven - Poughkeepsie NY
Charles C. Goldsmith - Poughkeepsie NY
Jeffery L. Hurd - late of Marlboro NY
Suryanarayana Kaja - Hopewell Junction NY
Michele S. Legere - Walden NY
Eric D. Perfecto - Poughkeepsie NY
Assignee:
International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY
International Classification:
C12D 604
US Classification:
148517, 148518, 148577, 205223, 205224
Abstract:
A process for controlling grain growth in the microstructure of thin metal films (e. g. , copper or gold) deposited onto a substrate. In one embodiment, the metal film is deposited onto the substrate to form a film having a fine-grained microstructure. The film is heated in a temperature range of 70-100ÂC. for at least five minutes, wherein the fine-grained microstructure is converted into a stable large-grained microstructure. In another embodiment, the plated film is stored, after the step of depositing, at a temperature not greater than -20Â C. , wherein the fine-grained microstructure is stabilized without grain growth for the entire storage period.