Abstract: A method of plasma processing includes generating a glow phase of an electropositive plasma in a plasma processing chamber containing a first species, a second species, and a substrate comprising a major surface and generating an electronegative plasma in an afterglow phase of the electropositive plasma in the plasma processing chamber by combining the electrons of the electropositive plasma with atoms or molecules of the second species. The electropositive plasma includes positive ions of the first species and electrons. The electronegative plasma includes the positive ions and negative ions of the second species. The method further includes, in the afterglow phase, cyclically performing steps of generating neutral particles by applying a negative bias voltage at the substrate and applying a non-negative bias voltage at the substrate. The average velocity of the neutral particles is towards and substantially normal to the major surface of the substrate.

Abstract: An exemplary plasma processing system includes a plasma processing chamber, an electrode for powering plasma in the plasma processing chamber, a tunable radio frequency (RF) signal generator configured to output a first signal at a first frequency and a second signal at a second frequency. The second frequency is at least 1.1 times the first frequency. The system includes a broadband power amplifier coupled to the tunable RF signal generator, the first frequency and the second frequency being within an operating frequency range of the broadband power amplifier. The output of the broadband power amplifier is coupled to the electrode. The broadband power amplifier is configured to supply, at the output, first power at the first frequency and second power at the second frequency.

Abstract: A method of plasma processing includes performing a reactive species control phase, performing an ion/radical control phase, and performing a by-product control phase. The reactive species control phase includes pulsing source power to a processing chamber to generate ions and radicals in a plasma. The ion/radical control phase is performed after the reactive species control phase. The ion/radical control phase includes reducing the source power to the processing chamber and pulsing bias power to a substrate in the processing chamber. The by-product control phase is performed after the ion/radical control phase. The by-product control phase includes reducing the source power to the processing chamber relative to the reactive species control phase and reducing the bias power to the substrate relative to the ion/radical control phase.

Abstract: Methods are provided herein for patterning extreme ultraviolet (EUV) (or lower wavelength) photoresists, such metal-oxide photoresists. A patterning layer comprising a metal-oxide photoresist is formed on one or more underlying layers provided on a substrate, and portions of the patterning layer not covered by a mask overlying the patterning layer are exposed to EUV or lower wavelengths light. A cyclic dry process is subsequently performed to remove portions of the patterning layer exposed to the EUV or lower wavelength light (i.e., the exposed portions) and develop the metal-oxide photoresist pattern. The cyclic dry process generally includes a plurality of deposition and etch steps, wherein the deposition step selectively deposits a protective layer onto unexposed portions of the patterning layer by exposing the substrate to a first plasma, and the etch step selectively etches the exposed portions of the patterning layer by exposing the substrate to a second plasma.

Abstract: A method of processing includes directing an electron beam comprising ballistic electrons from an electron source towards a peripheral region of a substrate to be processed. The peripheral region surrounds a central region of the substrate. The electron beam may be directed such that the ballistic electrons impinge on the peripheral region and not on the central region of the substrate. The ballistic electrons may stimulate chemical reactions on the substrate. The method may include placing the substrate on a substrate holder disposed within a vacuum chamber. The method may also include generating the electron beam from a plasma in the vacuum chamber. The method may further include processing the substrate with ions from the plasma.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a plasma processing system includes a vacuum chamber, a substrate holder configured to hold a substrate to be processed where the substrate holder is disposed in the vacuum chamber. The system further includes an electron source disposed above a peripheral region of the substrate holder, the electron source being configured to generate an electron beam towards the peripheral region of the substrate holder.

Abstract: A method for treating a substrate includes receiving the substrate in a vacuum process chamber. The substrate includes a III-V film layer disposed on the substrate. The III-V film layer includes an exposed surface, an interior portion underlying the exposed surface, and one or more of the following: Al, Ga, In, N, P, As, Sb, Si, or Ge. The method further includes altering the chemical composition of the exposed surface and a fraction of the interior portion of the III-V film layer to form an altered portion of the III-V film layer using a first plasma treatment, removing the altered portion of the III-V film layer using a second plasma treatment, and repeating the altering and removing of the III-V film layer until a predetermined amount of the III-V film layer is removed from the substrate.

Abstract: A method for forming a semiconductor device includes depositing a metal resist layer over a layer to be patterned that is formed over a substrate; patterning the metal resist layer using a lithography process to form a patterned metal resist layer and expose portions of the layer to be patterned; selectively depositing a silicon containing layer over the patterned resist layer by exposing the substrate to a gas mixture comprising a silicon precursor, the silicon containing layer being preferentially deposited over a top surface of the metal resist layer; and performing a surface cleaning process by exposing the layer to be patterned and the patterned metal resist layer covered with the silicon containing layer to a plasma process with an etch chemistry comprising a halogen or hydrogen.

Abstract: A method of nitridation includes cyclically performing the following steps in situ within a processing chamber at a temperature less than about 400° C.: treating an unreactive surface of a substrate in the processing chamber to convert the unreactive surface to a reactive surface by exposing the unreactive surface to an energy flux, and nitridating the reactive surface using a nitrogen-based gas to convert the reactive surface to a nitride layer including a subsequent unreactive surface.

Abstract: A method includes performing a first on phase including applying an SP pulse to an SP electrode to generate plasma, performing a second on phase after the first on phase, performing a corner etch phase after the second on phase, and performing a by-product management phase after the corner etch phase. The SP pulse terminates at the end of the first on phase. The second on phase includes applying a first BP pulse to a BP electrode coupled to a target substrate. The first BP pulse includes a first BP power level and accelerates ions of the plasma toward to target substrate. The corner etch phase includes applying a BP spike including a second BP power level greater than the first BP power level. The duration of the BP spike is less than the duration of the first BP pulse.

Abstract: A method for processing a substrate includes performing a cyclic plasma etch process including a plurality of cycles, where each cycle of the plurality of cycles includes: causing chemical reactions with the surface of the substrate by exposing a surface of the substrate to fluorine radicals extracted from a first gas discharge plasma formed using a first gaseous mixture including a non-polymerizing fluorine compound; cooling the substrate and concurrently removing residual gaseous byproducts by flowing a second gaseous mixture over the substrate, and at the same time, suppressing the chemical reactions with the surface of the substrate; and performing a plasma surface modification process by exposing the surface of the substrate to hydrogen radicals extracted from a second gas discharge plasma formed using a third gaseous mixture including gases including nitrogen and hydrogen.

Abstract: A plasma processing system includes a radical source chamber including a gas inlet, an electrode coupled to a radio frequency (RF) power source, where the electrode is configured to generate radicals within the radical source chamber, and an exit for radicals generated within the radical source chamber; a plenum attached to the exit of the radical source chamber, where the plenum is made of a first thermal conductor, and where the walls of the plenum include openings for gas flow; and a process chamber connected to the radical source chamber through the plenum. The process chamber includes a substrate holder disposed below the plenum; a gas outlet below the substrate holder; and process chamber walls including a second thermal conductor, where the process chamber walls of the process chamber are thermally coupled to the walls of the plenum.

Abstract: Various embodiments of systems and methods are described herein for controlling a pulsed plasma. Pulse timing parameters (e.g., the pulse on-time and/or the pulse-off time) of the plasma generation source may be controlled based on the measurement data received from measurement device(s), to control the plasma exposure of the substrate during a sequence of dynamically controlled pulses within the plasma process chamber. In addition or alternatively, pulse timing parameters (e.g., the pulse on-time and/or the pulse-off time) can be applied to the source power, bias power, and/or both based on the measurement data received from measurement device(s), to control a plasma exposure of the substrate. The pulse timing changes may be made in a feedforward or feedback manner.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a FET semiconductor structure includes providing a substrate comprising at least one source/drain contact of at least one FET, the at least one source/drain contact formed adjacent to a dummy gate of the at least one FET. A TiSi2 film with C54 structure is selectively deposited directly on and fully covering the at least one source/drain contact relative to a vertical sidewall of a gate spacer between the at least one source/drain contact and the dummy gate. The dummy gate is replaced with a replacement metal gate.

Abstract: A method of plasma processing includes generating a glow phase of an electropositive plasma in a plasma processing chamber containing a first species, a second species, and a substrate comprising a major surface and generating an electronegative plasma in an afterglow phase of the electropositive plasma in the plasma processing chamber by combining the electrons of the electropositive plasma with atoms or molecules of the second species. The electropositive plasma includes positive ions of the first species and electrons. The electronegative plasma includes the positive ions and negative ions of the second species. The method further includes, in the afterglow phase, cyclically performing steps of generating neutral particles by applying a negative bias voltage at the substrate and applying a non-negative bias voltage at the substrate. The average velocity of the neutral particles is towards and substantially normal to the major surface of the substrate.

Abstract: A plasma processing system includes a plasma chamber configured to contain a plasma, a shutter chamber fluidically coupled to the plasma chamber via a first orifice, a mass spectrometer fluidically coupled to the shutter chamber, and a shutter disposed in the shutter chamber between the first orifice and the mass spectrometer in the path of a particle beam. The first orifice is configured to generate the particle beam from the plasma using a pressure differential between the shutter chamber and the plasma chamber. The mass spectrometer includes an ionizer configured to ionize species of the particle beam by sweeping through a range of electron energies in a plurality of energy steps. The shutter is configured to open and close during each of the plurality of energy steps.

Abstract: Improved process flows and methods are provided herein for fabricating a transistor on a substrate. In the disclosed process flows and methods, a contact etch stop layer (CESL) is conformally deposited directly onto a plurality of transistor structures, and a sacrificial layer is conformally deposited directly onto the CESL to protect the CESL from oxidation and thinning during subsequent processing step(s). The sacrificial layer improves the etch stop capability of the CESL during a subsequently performed oxide etch process. By providing a CESL with improved etch stop capability, the disclosed process flows and methods provide a controlled CESL etch process, which reduces or avoids damage to underlying transistor structures.

Abstract: A method for processing a substrate includes performing a cyclic plasma etch process including a plurality of cycles, where each cycle of the plurality of cycles includes: causing chemical reactions with the surface of the substrate by exposing a surface of the substrate to fluorine radicals extracted from a first gas discharge plasma formed using a first gaseous mixture including a non-polymerizing fluorine compound; cooling the substrate and concurrently removing residual gaseous byproducts by flowing a second gaseous mixture over the substrate, and at the same time, suppressing the chemical reactions with the surface of the substrate; and performing a plasma surface modification process by exposing the surface of the substrate to hydrogen radicals extracted from a second gas discharge plasma formed using a third gaseous mixture including gases including nitrogen and hydrogen.

Abstract: A method of plasma processing comprises generating electrons in a source chamber, generating an electric potential gradient between the source chamber and a processing chamber by applying a first negative direct current (DC) voltage to the source chamber and a ground voltage to the processing chamber, accelerating the electrons from the source chamber through a dielectric injector and into the processing chamber using the electric potential gradient, and generating an electron-beam sustained plasma (ESP) in the processing chamber using the electrons from the source chamber.

Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed for focus ring thickness measurement and feedback control within process chambers. For disclosed embodiments, in-chamber sensors measure physical parameters associated with focus rings, and these measurements are used to determine thickness for the focus rings. The thickness determinations can be used to detect when a focus ring should be replaced and can also be used as feedback to adjust the position of the focus rings within the chamber. For one embodiment, measurements from ultrasonic sensors are used to make thickness determinations for focus rings. For further embodiments, these ultrasonic sensors are positioned at end portions of focus ring lift pins. Other sensors can also be used such as capacitive sensors, resistive sensors, and/or other desired sensors. Further variations and implementations can also be achieved using in-chambers sensors to facilitate focus ring thickness determinations.