Disclosed are pre-wetting apparatus designs and methods. In some embodiments, a pre-wetting apparatus includes a degasser, a process chamber, and a controller. The process chamber includes a wafer holder configured to hold a wafer substrate, a vacuum port configured to allow formation of a subatmospheric pressure in the process chamber, and a fluid inlet coupled to the degasser and configured to deliver a degassed pre-wetting fluid onto the wafer substrate at a velocity of at least about 7 meters per second whereby particles on the wafer substrate are dislodged and at a flow rate whereby dislodged particles are removed from the wafer substrate. The controller includes program instructions for forming a wetting layer on the wafer substrate in the process chamber by contacting the wafer substrate with the degassed pre-wetting fluid admitted through the fluid inlet at a flow rate of at least about 0.4 liters per minute.

A semiconductor structure and the method of forming the same are provided. The method of forming a semiconductor structure includes forming a recess feature in a basal layer, forming a metal layer on the basal layer, exposing the metal layer to a tungsten halide gas to form an oxygen-deficient metal layer, and forming a bulk tungsten layer on the oxygen-deficient metal layer.

Methods and apparatus for selectively depositing a titanium material layer atop a substrate having a silicon surface and a dielectric surface are disclosed. In embodiments an apparatus is configured for forming a remote plasma reaction between titanium tetrachloride (TiCl.sub.4), hydrogen (H.sub.2) and argon (Ar) in a region between a lid heater and a showerhead of a process chamber at a first temperature of 200 to 800 degrees C.; and flowing reaction products into the process chamber to selectively form a titanium material layer upon the silicon surface of the substrate.

A method includes forming a first metallic feature, forming a dielectric layer over the first metallic feature, etching the dielectric layer to form an opening, with a top surface of the first metallic feature being exposed through the opening, and performing a first treatment on the top surface of the first metallic feature. The first treatment is performed through the opening, and the first treatment is performed using a first process gas. After the first treatment, a second treatment is performed through the opening, and the second treatment is performed using a second process gas different from the first process gas. A second metallic feature is deposited in the opening

There is provided a tungsten film forming method for forming a tungsten film on a target substrate disposed inside a chamber kept under a depressurized atmosphere and having a base film formed on a surface thereof, using a tungsten chloride gas as a tungsten raw material gas and a reducing gas for reducing the tungsten chloride gas, which includes: performing an SiH.sub.4 gas treatment with respect to the target substrate having the base film formed thereon by supplying an SiH.sub.4 gas into the chamber; and subsequently, forming the tungsten film by sequentially supplying the tungsten chloride gas and the reducing gas into the chamber while purging an interior of the chamber in the course of sequentially supplying the tungsten chloride gas and the reducing gas.

Methods and apparatus for selectively depositing a titanium material layer atop a substrate having a silicon surface and a dielectric surface are disclosed. In embodiments an apparatus is configured for forming a remote plasma reaction between titanium tetrachloride (TiCl.sub.4), hydrogen (H.sub.2) and argon (Ar) in a region between a lid heater and a showerhead of a process chamber at a first temperature of 200 to 800 degrees Celsius; and flowing reaction products into the process chamber to selectively form a titanium material layer upon the silicon surface of the substrate.

According to one embodiment, a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device is disclosed. The method includes forming a co-catalyst layer and catalyst layer above a surface of a semiconductor substrate. The co-catalyst layer and catalyst layer have fcc structure. The fcc structure is formed such that (111) face of the fcc structure is to be oriented parallel to the surface of the semiconductor substrate. The catalyst includes a portion which contacts the co-catalyst layer. The portion has the fcc structure. An exposed surface of the catalyst layer is planarized by oxidation and reduction treatments. A graphene layer is formed on the catalyst layer.

Disclosed are pre-wetting apparatus designs and methods. These apparatus designs and methods are used to pre-wet a wafer prior to plating a metal on the surface of the wafer. Disclosed compositions of the pre-wetting fluid prevent corrosion of a seed layer on the wafer and also improve the filling rates of features on the wafer.

According to an embodiment of a semiconductor device, the semiconductor devices includes a metal structure electrically connected to a semiconductor body and a metal adhesion and barrier structure between the metal structure and the semiconductor body. The metal adhesion and barrier structure includes a first layer having titanium and tungsten, and a second layer having titanium, tungsten, and nitrogen on the first layer having titanium and tungsten.

According to one embodiment, a semiconductor device is disclosed. The device includes interconnects each including a catalyst layer and a graphene layer thereon. The catalyst layer includes a first to fifth catalyst regions arranged along a first direction in order of the first to fifth catalyst regions. The first, third and fifth catalyst regions include upper surfaces higher than those of the second and fourth catalyst regions. Adjacent ones of the first to fifth catalyst regions are in contact with each other. A distance between the first and the third catalyst region and a distance between the third and fifth catalyst region are greater than a mean free path of graphene. The graphene layer includes a first graphene layer on the second catalyst region and a second graphene layer on the fourth catalyst region.