The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 28, 2003
Filed:
Jan. 16, 2002
Patrick W. DeHaven, Poughkeepsie, NY (US);
Charles C. Goldsmith, Poughkeepsie, NY (US);
Jeffery L. Hurd, late of Marlboro, NY (US);
Suryanarayana Kaja, Hopewell Junction, NY (US);
Michele S. Legere, Walden, NY (US);
Eric D. Perfecto, Poughkeepsie, NY (US);
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY (US);
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 70-100° C. 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 −20° C., wherein the fine-grained microstructure is stabilized without grain growth for the entire storage period.