A method of depositing a metal film on a substrate includes a supercritical preclean
step, a supercritical desorb step, and a metal deposition step. Preferably, the
preclean step includes maintaining supercritical carbon dioxide and a chelating
agent in contact with the substrate in order to remove an oxide layer from a metal
surface of the substrate. More preferably, the preclean step includes maintaining
the supercritical carbon dioxide, the chelating agent, and an acid in contact with
the substrate. Alternatively, the preclean step includes maintaining the supercritical
carbon dioxide and an amine in contact with the oxide layer. The desorb step includes
maintaining supercritical carbon dioxide in contact with the substrate in order
to remove adsorbed material from the substrate. The metal deposition step then
deposits the metal film on the substrate without exposing the substrate to an oxidizing
material which oxidizes the metal surface of the precleaned substrate and without
exposing the substrate to a nonvolatile adsorbing material which adsorbs to the
substrate. An apparatus for depositing the metal film on a substrate includes a
transfer module, a supercritical processing module, a vacuum module, and a metal
deposition module. The supercritical processing module is coupled to the transfer
module. The vacuum module couples the metal deposition module to the transfer module.
In operation, the apparatus for depositing the metal film performs the supercritical
preclean step, the supercritical desorb step, and the metal deposition step.
