Selective Deposition of Silver on Silicon by Reaction with Silver Fluoride Vapor

Abstract

Reaction of silver fluoride vapor with a silicon surface has been shown to produce a smooth silver film at temperatures from 80° to nearly 600°C. The silicon surface is etched in the beginning of the deposition process, and silicon is continuously removed from the silicon‐silver interface, leading to improved adherence of the film. Films of up to 1 µm have been obtained. On surfaces which are partly covered by an oxide pattern, selective deposition on bare silicon occurs in the range of 80°–600°C. This method is, in principle, applicable to the deposition of a wide variety of metals on elemental and compound semiconductors.