The present invention relates to a stable palladium ion catalyst aqueous solution for electroless metal plating that does not use boric acid and can be used stably over a wide pH range. The catalyst solution for electroless plating of the present invention contains palladium ion, palladium ion complexing agent, and a specific amine compound and is alkaline.

The present invention relates to a stable palladium ion catalyst aqueous solution for electroless metal plating that does not use boric acid and can be used stably over a wide pH range. The catalyst solution for electroless plating of the present invention contains palladium ion, palladium ion complexing agent, and a specific amine compound and is alkaline.

Tooling apparatus and methods are provided to fabricate semiconductor devices in which controlled thermal annealing techniques are utilized to modulate microstructures of metallic interconnect structures. For example, an apparatus includes a single platform semiconductor processing chamber having first and second sub-chambers. The first sub-chamber is configured to receive a semiconductor substrate comprising a metallization layer formed on a dielectric layer, wherein a portion of the metallization layer is disposed within an opening etched in the dielectric layer, and to form a stress control layer on the metallization layer. The second sub-chamber comprises a programmable hot plate which is configured to perform a thermal anneal process to modulate a microstructure of the metallization layer while the stress control layer is disposed on the metallization layer, and without an air break between the process modules of forming the stress control layer and performing the thermal anneal process.

Tooling apparatus and methods are provided to fabricate semiconductor devices in which controlled thermal annealing techniques are utilized to modulate microstructures of metallic interconnect structures. For example, an apparatus includes a single platform semiconductor processing chamber having first and second sub-chambers. The first sub-chamber is configured to receive a semiconductor substrate comprising a metallization layer formed on a dielectric layer, wherein a portion of the metallization layer is disposed within an opening etched in the dielectric layer, and to form a stress control layer on the metallization layer. The second sub-chamber comprises a programmable hot plate which is configured to perform a thermal anneal process to modulate a microstructure of the metallization layer while the stress control layer is disposed on the metallization layer, and without an air break between the process modules of forming the stress control layer and performing the thermal anneal process.

A multilayer body of the present disclosure includes a support, a bismuth-including layer, and an intermediate layer. The bismuth-including layer includes at least one selected from the group consisting of pure bismuth, a bismuth alloy, bismuth oxide, and a composite oxide including bismuth. The intermediate layer includes at least one selected from the group consisting of pure zinc, a zinc alloy, pure tin, a tin alloy, pure lead, and a lead alloy. Additionally, the intermediate layer is disposed between the bismuth-including layer and the support in a thickness direction of the bismuth-including layer.

The present invention concerns a tin plating bath comprising tin ions; at least one complexing agent selected from the group consisting of pyrophosphate ions, linear polyphosphate ions and cyclic polyphosphate ions and a nitrogen and sulfur containing stabilizing additive and titanium (III) ions as a reducing agent suitable to reduce tin ions to metallic tin. The present invention further discloses a method of depositing tin or a tin alloy onto a surface of a substrate. The tin plating bath is particularly suitable to be used in the electronics and semiconductor industry.

The present invention concerns a tin plating bath comprising tin ions; at least one complexing agent selected from the group consisting of pyrophosphate ions, linear polyphosphate ions and cyclic polyphosphate ions and a nitrogen and sulfur containing stabilizing additive and titanium (III) ions as a reducing agent suitable to reduce tin ions to metallic tin. The present invention further discloses a method of depositing tin or a tin alloy onto a surface of a substrate. The tin plating bath is particularly suitable to be used in the electronics and semiconductor industry.

A piston has a piston main body including an aluminum alloy, and a covering layer formed on the outer surface of the piston main body, and the covering layer has a first plating layer including an iron-phosphorous alloy, and a second plating layer including a nickel-phosphorous alloy formed on the first plating layer.

A piston has a piston main body including an aluminum alloy, and a covering layer formed on the outer surface of the piston main body, and the covering layer has a first plating layer including an iron-phosphorous alloy, and a second plating layer including a nickel-phosphorous alloy formed on the first plating layer.

A method for electroless deposition of aluminum or an aluminum alloy on a substrate surface is provided. The method includes activating the surface of the substrate to be coated by applying a coating of a catalyst metal; preparing a mixture of urea (NH.sub.2CONH.sub.2) and anhydrous aluminum chloride (AlCl.sub.3) having a 2:1 molar ratio of AlCl.sub.3:NH.sub.2CONH.sub.2 to obtain a Lewis acid room temperature ionic liquid (RTIL) optionally containing an alloy metal salt; dissolving a hydride reducing agent in an aprotic anhydrous solvent to obtain a hydride solution; mixing the hydride solution and the AlCl.sub.3:NH.sub.2CONH.sub.2 RTIL to obtain an electroless Al solution; exposing the activated surface of the substrate to the electroless Al solution; and removing the electroless Al solution from the substrate surface; wherein upon exposure of the activated substrate surface to the electroless Al solution, an Al or Al alloy coating is obtained on the activated substrate surface.