A method of forming a conductor in a thin
film structure on a
semiconductor substrate includes forming high
aspect ratio openings in a base layer having vertical side walls, depositing a
dielectric barrier layer comprising a
dielectric compound of a barrier
metal on the surfaces of the high
aspect ratio openings including the vertical side walls, depositing a
metal barrier layer comprising the barrier
metal on the first
barrier layer, depositing a main conductor species seed layer on the metal barrier layer and depositing a main conductor layer. The method further includes annealing the main conductor layer by (a) directing light from an array of
continuous wave lasers into a line of light extending at least partially across the thin
film structure, and (b) translating the line of light relative to the thin
film structure in a direction transverse to the line of light. The method of Claim 1 further comprising, prior to the annealing step, depositing an
amorphous carbon optical absorber layer on the main conductor layer. The step of depositing an
amorphous carbon optical absorber layer includes introducing a carbon-containing process gas into a reactor chamber containing the substrate in a
process zone of the reactor, applying RF source power to an external reentrant conduit of the reactor to generate a reentrant toroidal RF
plasma current passing through the
process zone and applying a bias
voltage to the substrate.