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:
Sep. 11, 1998
Ivan Petrov Ivanov, Burnsville, MN (US);
Cypress Semiconductor Corporation, San Jose, CA (US);
Abstract
A method for depositing a metal layer on a substrate includes the steps of depositing a first metal layer at a first deposition temperature; depositing a second metal layer on the first metal layer at a second deposition temperature higher than the first deposition temperature; reducing at least one of a growth rate and a temperature of at least the second metal layer; and depositing a third metal layer on the second metal layer. Preferably, the growth rate is reduced substantially to zero and the temperature is reduced to a point below which the second metal layer ceases to flow. By interrupting the processing the metal layer prior to the third metal layer forming step by the reducing and/or cooling step, the formation of whiskers and other similar thermal stress-induced defects is suppressed or inhibited, resulting in a substantially smooth and substantially defect free metal layer.