Abstract: A method of removing resist material from a substrate having a magnetically active surface is provided. The substrate is disposed in a processing chamber and exposed to a fluorine-containing plasma formed from a gas mixture having a reagent, an oxidizing agent, and a reducing agent. A cleaning agent may also be included. The substrate may be cooled by back-side cooling or by a cooling process wherein a cooling medium is provided to the processing chamber while the plasma treatment is suspended. Substrates may be flipped over for two-sided processing, and multiple substrates may be processed concurrently.

Abstract: In an ion implantation method, a substrate is placed in a process zone and ions are implanted into a region of the substrate to form an ion implanted region. A porous capping layer is deposited on the ion implanted region. The substrate is annealed to volatize at least 80% of the porous capping layer overlying the ion implanted region during the annealing process. An intermediate product comprises a substrate, a plurality of ion implantation regions on the substrate, and a porous capping layer covering the ion implantation regions.

Abstract: Solar cells are provided with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) which are used: to define a micron/sub-micron geometry of the solar cells; and/or as charge transporters for efficiently removing charge carriers from the absorber layer to reduce the rate of electron-hole recombination in the absorber layer. A solar cell may comprise: a substrate; a multiplicity of areas of metal catalyst on the surface of the substrate; a multiplicity of carbon nanotube bundles formed on the multiplicity of areas of metal catalyst, each bundle including carbon nanotubes aligned roughly perpendicular to the surface of the substrate; and a photoactive solar cell layer formed over the carbon nanotube bundles and exposed surfaces of the substrate, wherein the photoactive solar cell layer is continuous over the carbon nanotube bundles and the exposed surfaces of the substrate.

Abstract: A substrate support for a process chamber comprises an electrostatic chuck having a receiving surface to receive the substrate and a gas distributor baseplate below the electrostatic chuck. The gas distributor baseplate comprises a circumferential sidewall having a plurality of gas outlets that are spaced apart from one another to introduce a process gas into the process chamber from around the perimeter of the substrate and in a radially outward facing direction.

Abstract: Methods of fabricating an oxide layer on a semiconductor structure are provided herein. In some embodiments, a method of selectively forming an oxide layer on a semiconductor structure includes providing a substrate having one or more metal-containing layers and one or more non metal-containing layers to a substrate support in a plasma reactor; introducing a first process gas into the plasma reactor, wherein the first process gas comprises hydrogen (H2) and oxygen (O2); maintaining the structure at a temperature of less than about 100 degrees Celsius; and generating a first plasma from the first process gas to selectively form an oxide layer on the one or more non metal-containing layers, wherein the first plasma has a density of greater than about 1010 ions/cm3.

Abstract: Methods for implanting ions into a substrate by a plasma immersion ion implanting process are provided. In one embodiment, a method for implanting ions into a substrate includes providing a substrate into a processing chamber, generating a plasma from a gas mixture including a reacting gas and a etching gas in the chamber, adjusting the ratio between the reacting gas and the etching gas in the supplied gas mixture and implanting ions from the plasma into the substrate. In another embodiment, the method includes providing a substrate into a processing chamber, supplying a gas mixture including reacting gas and a halogen containing reducing gas into the chamber, forming a plasma from the gas mixture, gradually increasing the ratio of the etching gas in the gas mixture, and implanting ions from the gas mixture into the substrate.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for processing a substrate are provided herein. In some embodiments, an apparatus for substrate processing includes a process chamber having a chamber body defining an inner volume; and a silicon containing coating disposed on an interior surface of the chamber body, wherein an outer surface of the silicon containing coating is at least 35 percent silicon (Si) by atom. In some embodiments, a method for forming a silicon containing coating in a process chamber includes providing a first process gas comprising a silicon containing gas to an inner volume of the process chamber; and forming a silicon containing coating on an interior surface of the process chamber, wherein an outer surface of the silicon containing coating is at least 35 percent silicon.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for manufacturing magnetic storage media is provided. A structural substrate is coated with a magnetically active material, and a magnetic pattern is formed in the magnetically active material by treating portions of the material with energy from a laser, e-beam, or focused ion beam. The beam may be divided into a packet of beamlets by passing the beam through a divider, which may be a diffraction grating for laser energy, a thin film single crystal for electrons, or a perforated plate for ions, or the beam may be generated by an array of emitters. The beamlets are then focused to a desired dimension and distribution by optics or electric fields. The resulting beam packet may be shaped further by passing through an aperture of any desired shape. The resulting beam may be applied sequentially to exposure zones to treat an entire substrate or plurality of substrates.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for forming substrates having magnetically patterned surfaces is provided. A magnetic layer comprising one or more materials having magnetic properties is formed on the substrate. The magnetic layer is subjected to a patterning process in which selected portions of the surface of the magnetic layer are altered such that the altered portions have different magnetic properties from the non-altered portions without changing the topography of the substrate. A protective layer and a lubricant layer are deposited over the patterned magnetic layer. The patterning is accomplished through a number of alternative processes that expose substrates to energy of varying forms.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for manufacturing magnetic storage media is provided. A structural substrate is coated with a magnetically susceptible material, and a patterned resist layer is formed over the magnetically susceptible material. Atom groups are directed toward the substrate, penetrating the resist and implanting into the magnetically susceptible layer. Thick portions of the resist prevent implantation in some areas to form a pattern of magnetic properties on the substrate. Energy and composition of the atom groups, thickness and hardness of the resist, and lattice energy of the magnetically susceptible material may all be adjusted to yield desired fragmentation and implantation of the atom groups, including in some embodiments mere impact on the surface without implanting. A protective layer and a lubricating layer are formed over the patterned magnetically susceptible layer.

Abstract: Methods of processing silicon substrates to form metal silicide layers thereover having more uniform thicknesses are provided herein. In some embodiments, a method of processing a substrate includes providing a substrate having a plurality of exposed regions comprising silicon, wherein at least two of the plurality of exposed regions have a different rate of formation of a metal silicide layer thereover; doping at least one of the exposed regions to control the rate of formation of a metal silicide layer thereover; and forming a metal silicide layer upon the exposed regions of the substrate, wherein the metal silicide layer has a reduced maximum thickness differential between the exposed regions.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for forming substrates having magnetically patterned surfaces is provided. A magnetic layer comprising one or more materials having magnetic properties is formed on a substrate. The magnetic layer is subjected to a patterning process in which selected portions of the surface of the magnetic layer are altered such that the altered portions have different magnetic properties from the non-altered portions without changing the topography of the substrate. A protective layer and a lubricant layer are deposited over the patterned magnetic layer. The patterning is accomplished through a number of processes that expose substrates to energy of varying forms. Apparatus and methods disclosed herein enable processing of two major surfaces of a substrate simultaneously, or sequentially by flipping. In some embodiments, magnetic properties of the substrate surface may be uniformly altered by plasma exposure and then selectively restored by exposure to patterned energy.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention generally provide methods for end point detection at predetermined dopant concentrations during plasma doping processes. In one embodiment, a method includes positioning a substrate within a process chamber, generating a plasma above the substrate and transmitting a light generated by the plasma through the substrate, wherein the light enters the topside and exits the backside of the substrate, and receiving the light by a sensor positioned below the substrate. The method further provides generating a signal proportional to the light received by the sensor, implanting the substrate with a dopant during a doping process, generating multiple light signals proportional to a decreasing amount of the light received by the sensor during the doping process, generating an end point signal proportional to the light received by the sensor once the substrate has a final dopant concentration, and ceasing the doping process.

Abstract: In an ion implantation method, a substrate is placed in a process zone and ions are implanted into a region of the substrate to form an ion implanted region. A porous capping layer is deposited on the ion implanted region. The substrate is annealed to volatize at least 80% of the porous capping layer overlying the ion implanted region during the annealing process. An intermediate product comprises a substrate, a plurality of ion implantation regions on the substrate, and a porous capping layer covering the ion implantation regions.

Abstract: A method of plasma immersion ion implantation of a workpiece having a photoresist mask on its top surface prevents photoresist failure from carbonization of the photoresist. The method includes performing successive ion implantation sub-steps, each of the ion implantation sub-steps having a time duration over which only a fractional top portion of the photoresist layer is damaged by ion implantation. After each one of the successive ion implantation sub-steps, the fractional top portion of the photoresist is removed while leaving the remaining portion of the photoresist layer in place by performing an ashing sub-step. The number of the successive ion implantation sub-steps is sufficient to reach a predetermined ion implantation dose in the workpiece.

Abstract: A method of preventing toxic gas formation after an implantation process is disclosed. Certain dopants, when implanted into films disposed on a substrate, may react when exposed to moisture to form a toxic gas and/or a flammable gas. By in-situ exposing the doped film to an oxygen containing compound, dopant that is shallowly implanted into the layer stack reacts to form a dopant oxide, thereby reducing potential toxic gas and/or flammable gas formation. Alternatively, a capping layer may be formed in-situ over the implanted film to reduce the potential generation of toxic gas and/or flammable gas.

Abstract: Methods for implanting ions into a substrate by a plasma immersion ion implanting process are provided. In one embodiment, the method for implanting ions into a substrate by a plasma immersion ion implantation process includes providing a substrate into a processing chamber, supplying a gas mixture including a reacting gas and a reducing gas into the chamber, and implanting ions from the gas mixture into the substrate. In another embodiment, the method includes providing a substrate into a processing chamber, supplying a gas mixture including reacting gas and a hydrogen containing reducing gas into the chamber, and implanting ions from the gas mixture into the substrate.

Abstract: A method for forming an ultra shallow junction on a substrate is provided. In certain embodiments a method of forming an ultra shallow junction on a substrate is provided. The substrate is placed into a process chamber. A silicon carbon layer is deposited on the substrate. The silicon carbon layer is exposed to a dopant. The substrate is heated to a temperature greater than 950° C. so as to cause substantial annealing of the dopant within the silicon carbon layer. In certain embodiments the substrate is heated to a temperature between about 1000° C. and about 1100°. In certain embodiments the substrate is heated to a temperature between about 1030° C. and 1050° C. In certain embodiments, a structure having an abrupt p-n junction is provided.

Abstract: In plasma immersion ion implantation of a polysilicon gate, a hydride of the dopant is employed as a process gas to avoid etching the polysilicon gate, and sufficient argon gas is added to reduce added particle count to below 50 and to reduce plasma impedance fluctuations to 5% or less.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention generally provide methods for end point detection at predetermined dopant concentrations during plasma doping processes. In one embodiment, a method includes positioning a substrate within a process chamber, generating a plasma above the substrate and transmitting a light generated by the plasma through the substrate, wherein the light enters the topside and exits the backside of the substrate, and receiving the light by a sensor positioned below the substrate. The method further provides generating a signal proportional to the light received by the sensor, implanting the substrate with a dopant during a doping process, generating multiple light signals proportional to a decreasing amount of the light received by the sensor during the doping process, generating an end point signal proportional to the light received by the sensor once the substrate has a final dopant concentration, and ceasing the doping process.