Method and system for forming material within a gap using meltable material
A method and system for forming material within a gap on a surface of a substrate using metal material are disclosed. An exemplary method includes forming a layer of meltable material overlying the substrate and heating the meltable material to a flow temperature to form molten material that flows within the gap.
1 . A method of forming material within a gap on a surface of a substrate, the method comprising the steps of:
providing the substrate within a reaction chamber of a reactor, the substrate comprising a gap and a surface material within the gap;
forming a layer of meltable material comprising meltable material overlying the substrate;
heating the meltable material to a flow temperature, wherein the flow temperature is higher than a melting temperature of the meltable material, to form molten material, wherein the molten material flows within the gap; and
cooling the molten material to below the melting temperature to form fill material within the gap,
wherein the meltable material is a dielectric material or a semiconductor, wherein the step of forming the layer of meltable material comprises:
forming a convertible material layer on a surface of the substrate, wherein the convertible material layer comprises one or more of a metal oxide, silicon, germanium, or a compound semiconductor; and
providing one or more of a halogen reactant and an oxyhalogen reactant to thereby form one or more of a halogenated material and an oxyhalogenated material on the surface.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the meltable material is not polymeric material.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of forming the layer of meltable material comprises a cyclical deposition process.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of forming the layer of meltable material comprises a conformal deposition process.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the meltable material is a semiconductor comprising one or more of a compound semiconductor comprising an alloy of two elemental semiconductors, an elemental semiconductor, a compound semiconductor comprising a chalcogenide, silicon carbide, Group II-VI semiconductor materials, Group III-V semiconductor materials, a metal carbide, a metal boride, or a metal nitride.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein one or more of the halogen reactant and the oxyhalogen reactant comprises activated species.
7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein providing one or more of the halogen reactant and the oxyhalogen reactant comprises one or more of HCl, HBr, OF 2 , FClO 2 , and FClO 3 .
8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the surface material comprises dielectric material.
9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the steps of forming the layer of meltable material and heating the meltable material overlap.
10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the steps of forming the layer of meltable material and heating the meltable material overlap.
11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of forming the layer of meltable material comprises forming a layer comprising a semiconductor.
12 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising a step of exposing the fill material to a reactant to form a converted material within the gap.
13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of forming the layer of meltable material comprises depositing one or more layers.
14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the meltable material comprises eutectic material.
15 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the meltable material comprises a semiconductor.
16 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the meltable material comprises a compound semiconductor.
17 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising a step of forming a wettable liner on the surface material prior to the step of forming the layer of meltable material.
18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the wettable liner comprises a semiconductor or a dielectric material.
19 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising a step of pretreating the surface material prior to the step of forming the layer of meltable material.
20 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the steps of forming the layer of meltable material and heating the meltable material are performed in the same reactor system.