Abstract: A crystallization apparatus includes an illumination system which illuminates a phase-shift mask and an image-forming optical system arranged in an optical path between the phase-shift mask and a semiconductor film. The semiconductor film is irradiated with a light beam having a light intensity distribution of inverted peak patterns whose light intensity is the lowest in portions corresponding to phase shift sections to form a crystallized semiconductor film. The image-forming optical system is located to optically conjugate the phase-shift mask and the semiconductor film and has an aberration corresponding to the given wavelength range to form a light intensity distribution of inverted peak patterns with no swell of intensity in the middle portion.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for forming a semiconductor sheet suitable for use as a solar cell by depositing an array of solidified drops of a feed material on a sheet support. The desired properties of the sheet fabricated with the teaching of this invention are: flatness, low residual stress, minority carrier diffusion length greater than 40 microns, and minimum grain dimension at least two times the minority carrier diffusion length. In one embodiment, the deposition chamber is adapted to form and process sheets that have a surface area of about 1,000-2,400 cm2.

Abstract: A supporting table having heaters inside a crystal-growing furnace includes a table plate and a plurality of supporting posts, wherein the supporting posts support the table plate and are, respectively, electrically connected with the heaters. Each supporting post includes, among others, a graphite electrode post, a metal electrode post, and an anchoring base. The supporting posts are each with its graphite electrode post screwed to a nut portion of the metal electrode post, and with the metal electrode post fixed to a wall of the crystal-growing furnace. The anchoring base includes, among others, a flange and an elastic washer, where the flange is welded to the wall of the furnace, and with the help of elasticity adjustment of the elastic washer, the supporting table can bear an equal distribution of loading from the supporting posts.

Abstract: A silicon seed rod assembly used for producing polycrystalline silicon by means of a vapor deposition method includes two rod-shape silicon seed rods; and a silicon connection member bridging the silicon seed rods, wherein an opening-end peripheral edge of a through-hole on one side surface of the connection member is sharper than that on the other side surface thereof, and an opening-end peripheral surface on the one side surface thereof is formed into a flat contact surface disposed in a direction perpendicular to a perforation direction of the through-hole, and wherein a upper end portion of the silicon seed rod is inserted into the through-hole so that the contact surface comes into contact with the support surface of the silicon seed rod.

Abstract: Provided is a production method for producing a solid product by a reaction of gaseous raw materials with a plurality of components including a step of conducting the reaction using a reactor disposed in a vertical direction; a step of feeding the gaseous raw materials with a plurality of components from the upper part of the reactor; a step of, in the lower part of the reactor, forming a seal gas layer composed of a gas having a high density and fed continuously from the lower part of the reactor; a step of discharging an exhaust gas containing a by-product gas generated by the reaction and unreacted gaseous raw materials from somewhere in the upper part of the formed seal gas layer; and a step of accommodating a solid product in the seal gas layer of the lower part.

Abstract: A crystal-growing furnace with a convectional cooling structure includes a furnace body, a heating room, and at least one heater. The heating room is accommodated in the furnace body, and includes an upper partition, a plurality of side partitions, and a lower partition. The upper partition is provided with an upper opening, and the lower partition with a central opening. Further, the heating room is provided with an upper door, a lower door, an upper driver, and a lower driver. When silicon slurry is to be cooled and solidified, cooling gaseous stream flows into a lower portion of the heating room through the central opening. Then the upper opening is opened by the upper door which is driven by the upper driver, so that heated gaseous stream is discharged from the upper opening and flows downward along furnace inside wall, and flows back to the heating room from the central opening.

Abstract: A method for growing a Group III nitride semiconductor crystal is provided with the following steps: First, a chamber including a heat-shielding portion for shielding heat radiation from a material 13 therein is prepared. Then, material 13 is arranged on one side of heat-shielding portion in chamber. Then, by heating material to be sublimated, a material gas is deposited on the other side of heat-shielding portion in chamber so that a Group III nitride semiconductor crystal is grown.

Abstract: A phase modulation element according to the present invention has a first area having a first phase value based on a phase modulation unit having a predetermined size and a second area having a second phase value based on the phase modulation unit having the predetermined size, and each phase distribution is defined by a change in area shares of the first area and the second area depending on each position.

Abstract: A method for growing large single crystals of metals is disclosed. A polycrystalline form of a metal specimen is initially heated in a non-oxidizing environment. A minimum plastic strain is then applied to the heated metal specimen to initiate the growth of a selected grain within the heated metal specimen. Additional plastic strain is subsequently applied to the heated metal specimen to propagate the growth of the selected grain to become a large single crystal.

Abstract: The invention provides for growing semiconductor and other crystals by loading a vessel in its lower portion with a seed crystal, loading a charge thereon in the vessel, heating the charge to a molten state and electromagnetically stirring the melt using magnetic and electric fields to obtain a more uniform composition of melt and slowly reducing the temperature of the melt over the crystal to grow a more uniform crystal from such stirred melt.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention are directed to an apparatus for generating a precursor for a semiconductor processing system (320). The apparatus includes a canister (300) having a sidewall (402), a top portion and a bottom portion. The canister (300) defines an interior volume (438) having an upper region (418) and a lower region (434). In one embodiment, the apparatus further includes a heater (430) partially surrounding the canister (300). The heater (430) creates a temperature gradient between the upper region (418) and the lower region (434). Also claimed is a method of forming a barrier layer from purified pentakis (dimethylamido) tantalum, for example a tantalum nitride barrier layer by atomic layer deposition.

Abstract: A crystal growth setup within a physical vapor transport growth furnace system for producing AlN monocrystal boules at high temperatures includes a crucible effective to contain an AlN source material and a growing AlN crystal boule. This crucible has a thin wall thickness in at least that portion housing the growing AlN crystal boule. Other components include a susceptor, in case of an inductive heating, or a heater, in case of a resistive heating, a thermal insulation enclosing the susceptor or heater effective to provide a thermal gradient inside the crucible in the range of 5-100° C./cm and a furnace chamber capable of being operated from a vacuum (<0.1 torr) to a gas pressure of at least 4000 torr through filling or flowing a nitrogen gas or a mixture of nitrogen gas and argon gas. The high temperatures contribute to a high boule growth rate and the thin wall thickness contributes to reduced imparted stress during boule removal.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an apparatus for manufacturing a polycrystalline silicon ingot for solar batteries having a door control device using a hinge. The apparatus includes a vacuum chamber, a crucible, a susceptor which surrounds the crucible, a heater which heats the crucible, and an insulation plate which is disposed below the susceptor and has an opening therein. The apparatus further includes a cooling plate which moves upwards through the opening of the insulation plate and comes into close contact with or approaches the lower end of the susceptor, a cooling plate moving unit which actuates the cooling plate, a temperature sensor which measures the temperature of the crucible, and a control unit which controls the temperature in the crucible and the cooling plate moving unit. Furthermore, a door is provided on the insulation plate to open or close the opening of the insulation plate. The hinge is provided between the door and the insulation plate.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a method for manufacturing single crystal nano-structures capable of controlling morphology so as to allow materials with various morphologies to form nano-structures in desired morphologies and a device for manufacturing the nano-structures, according to variables such as a temperature of a target member in a vacuum system, an applied voltage applied to the target member, a pulse width, a kind of precursors after vaporization of the target member, etc. Each of the nano-structures of the present invention can be used as a unit of a storage medium so that a high density storage medium can be manufactured and various devices can be miniaturized by using particular electrical and physical characteristics that are exhibited in a nano-size semiconductor or metal.

Abstract: A plume (109) is generated by irradiating a side face of a graphite rod (101) with a laser beam (103) to vaporize carbon. The vaporized carbon is introduced to a carbon nanohorn recovery chamber (119) through a recovery pipe (155), and the vaporized carbon is recovered as a carbon nanohorn assembly (117). A cooling tank (150) including liquid nitrogen (151) is arranged in the recovery pipe (155). While the cooling tank (150) controls the plume (109) at a low temperature, the cooling tank (150) cools the carbon vapor when the carbon vapor passes through the recovery pipe (155). The cooled carbon vapor is recovered as the carbon nanohorn assembly (117) which is controlled in the desired shape and dimensions.

Abstract: A physical vapor transport growth technique for silicon carbide is disclosed. The method includes the steps of introducing a silicon carbide powder and a silicon carbide seed crystal into a physical vapor transport growth system, separately introducing a heated silicon-halogen gas composition into the system in an amount that is less than the stoichiometric amount of the silicon carbide source powder so that the silicon carbide source powder remains the stoichiometric dominant source for crystal growth, and heating the source powder, the gas composition, and the seed crystal in a manner that encourages physical vapor transport of both the powder species and the introduced silicon-halogen species to the seed crystal to promote bulk growth on the seed crystal.

Abstract: A seed crystal fixing apparatus for fixing the seed crystal on the seed crystal setting part of a reaction vessel with interposition of the adhesive, has a chamber configured to place the seed crystal setting part and form a hermetic atmosphere within the chamber; and a pressure part placed within the chamber for uniformly applying a pressure on the entire surface of the seed crystal.

Abstract: A vitreous crucible for holding semiconductor material during a moncrystalline ingot growing process has a sidewall. Part of the sidewall is coated with a devitrification promoter and part of the sidewall is substantially free from devitrification promoter coating. When the crucible is heated as it would be during an ingot growing process, the devitrification promoter induces crystallization of portions of the sidewall, thereby forming enhanced stiffness sidewall portions. Areas that are substantially free from devitrification promoters remain vitreous and are softened by the heat. These become stress accommodating sidewall portions. Flow of the vitreous material in the stress accommodating sidewall portions relieves stresses that would otherwise build up in the sidewall.

Abstract: A heat shielding member 20 that thermally shields the periphery of a single crystal 16 used in a Czochralski single crystal pulling device that pulls the single crystal 16 from a melt 15 that is collected in a crucible 10 is disclosed. The heat shielding member 20 is provided with an approximately cylindrical main body portion 21 arranged so as to surround the single crystal 16, with a lower end portion thereof extending to the vicinity of the melt 15, and an approximately annular bottom plate portion 22 that extends in the diameter direction from the bottom end portion of the main body portion 21 to cover the melt. The bottom plate portion 22 is attached to the main body portion 21 in the state of being severed in the circumferential direction at at least one location. With this constitution it is possible to provide a heat shielding member with superior durability and a single crystal pulling device that employs the heat shielding member.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to manufacture single crystals of high quality on an industrial production scale by preventing impurities from being mixed in single crystals when the single crystals are produced by the solvothermal method. A pressure vessel body 1, in which a supercritical state is maintained, is made of heat resistant alloy, a portion of the pressure vessel body is open, a corrosion-resistant mechanical lining 5 is provided on an inner face of the pressure vessel and on an entire outer circumferential edge of the opening, and the opening is sealed by an airtight mating face formed out of a corrosion-resistant mechanical lining, which is formed on the outer circumferential edge of the opening, and by an airtight mating face of the corrosion-resistant mechanical lining cover 6 on an inner face of the cover 3 through a corrosion-resistant gasket member.

Abstract: A crystal growth crucible made of boron nitride includes a cylindrical tip portion for accommodating a seed crystal, and a cylindrical straight-body portion for growing a crystal, which is formed above the tip portion and has a diameter larger than that of the tip portion. Thickness T1 of the tip portion and thickness T2 of the straight-body portion satisfy a condition of 0.1 mm?T2<T1?5 mm, and inside diameter D2 and length L2 of the straight-body portion satisfy conditions of 100 mm<D2 and 2<L2/D2<5.

Abstract: The apparatus for manufacturing a silicon single crystal includes: a crucible for storing molten silicon; a pulling-up device for pulling up a silicon single crystal from the molten silicon in the crucible to grow; a detecting device for detecting a position of the crucible in a vertical direction; and a control device for controlling a pulling rate for the silicon single crystal by the pulling-up device, based on the detected position of the crucible.

Abstract: A method and apparatus that may be utilized in deposition processes, such as hydride vapor phase epitaxial (HVPE) deposition of metal nitride films, are provided. A first set of passages may introduce a metal containing precursor gas. A second set of passages may provide a nitrogen-containing precursor gas. The first and second sets of passages may be interspersed in an effort to separate the metal containing precursor gas and nitrogen-containing precursor gas until they reach a substrate. An inert gas may also be flowed down through the passages to help keep separation and limit reaction at or near the passages, thereby preventing unwanted deposition on the passages.

Abstract: A ribbon crystal pulling furnace has a base insulation and a liner insulation removably connected to the base insulation. At least a portion of the liner insulation forms an interior for containing a crucible.

Abstract: A process for fabricating a composite structure for epitaxy, including at least one crystalline growth seed layer of semiconductor material on a support substrate, with the support substrate and the crystalline growth seed layer each having, on the periphery of their bonding face, a chamfer or an edge rounding zone. The process includes at least one step of wafer bonding the crystalline growth seed layer directly onto the support substrate and at least one step of thinning the crystalline growth seed layer. After thinning, the crystalline growth seed layer has a diameter identical to its initial diameter.

Abstract: A crystal growth apparatus comprises a reaction vessel holding a melt mixture containing an alkali metal and a group III metal in a vessel space thereof, a porous member holding a metal melt by a surface tension thereof in a path through which a vapor of the alkali metal in contact with the metal mixture in the vessel space escapes to an external space, the porous member further supplying a nitrogen source gas fed from outside thereto further to the reaction vessel therethrough and through the metal melt by a pressure difference formed between the vessel space in the reaction vessel and the external space, and a heating apparatus heating the melt mixture to a crystal growth temperature.

Abstract: The present invention provides computer-implementable systems and methods for generating images of crystals. The systems each include (a) a light source; (b) a rotatable first polarizing material; (c) a rotatable second polarizing material; (d) a light-capturing device; and (e) a software program executable on the computer-implementable system for analyzing electrical signals from the light-capturing device.

Abstract: An apparatus for fabricating a GaN single crystal and a fabrication method for producing GaN single crystal ingot are provided. The apparatus includes: a reactor including a ceiling, a floor and a wall with a predetermined height encompassing an internal space between the ceiling and the floor, wherein the ceiling is opposite to the floor; a quartz vessel on the floor containing Ga metal; a mount installed on the ceiling on which a GaN substrate is mounted, the GaN substrate being opposite to the quartz vessel; a first gas supplying unit supplying the quartz vessel with hydrogen chloride (HCl) gas; a second gas supplying unit supplying the internal space of the reactor with ammonia (NH3) gas; and a heating unit installed in conjunction with the wall of the reactor for heating the internal space, wherein the lower portion of the internal space is heated to a higher temperature than the upper portion.

Abstract: The current application deals with the doping and multi-chamber method and apparatus for the growth of material, directed toward Solid Phase Epitaxy (SPE) process. We will examine different variations and features of this method and process. The advantages of this method are the high throughput and the reduced operational cost of the production for semiconductor material and devices, such as III-V material (e.g. GaAs) and solar cell devices. It can be applied to many systems and devices/material.

Abstract: An apparatus for synthesizing nanostructures. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a heating device that defines a reaction zone therein and a susceptor made of a ferromagnetic material with a Curie temperature and placed in the reaction zone, where the Curie temperature substantially corresponds to a temperature at which the growth of desired nanostructures occurs and the heating device is capable of heating the susceptor substantially at the Curie temperature.

Abstract: The bottom of the crucible has much greater thermal transfer properties, parallel to an axis substantially perpendicular to the bottom, than those of the side walls. The bottom and side walls are formed by materials having the same main chemical constituents. The bottom can be transparent to infrared radiation and the side walls opaque to infrared radiation. The bottom can be made of amorphous silica and the side walls of opaque quartz ceramic. The crucible can also be made of graphite. The device can comprise a graphite felt, arranged between the bottom of the crucible and cooling means, and compression means of the graphite felt. It is thus possible to define a temperature gradient comprised between 8° C./cm and 30° C./cm in the liquid phase.

Abstract: A crystallization system is provided comprising a screen generation station; a screen storage station; including a housing configured to store a plurality of screen storage plates and mechanics for retrieving a selected screen storage plate from among the plurality of screen storage plates for transport to another station a transport mechanism configured to transport a screen storage plate containing the screen solutions generated at the screen generation station to the screen storage station; and a controller.

Abstract: A trial generation station is provided comprising: a deck configured to receive a crystallization plate from a transport mechanism, the crystallization plate including a plurality of trial zones where crystallization trials are generated; and a head configured to be moved relative to the stage, the head including a plurality of primary fluid dispensers, each fluid dispenser being configured to transfer a portion of a mother liquor from the well region of a trial zone to a sample region associated with the trial zone, and one or more secondary fluid dispensers configured to dispense a molecule solution into the sample regions of the wells, the molecule solution including the molecule to be crystallized by the system and at least one of the secondary fluid dispenser being laterally immobilized relative to one or more of the fluid dispensers.

Abstract: A crystallization system is provided comprising: a screen replicator configured to transfer screen solutions from wells of a screen storage plate into well regions of multiple crystallization plates; a trial generation station configured to generate crystallization trials in the trial zones of a crystallization plate; a transport mechanism configured to transport crystallization plates from the screen replicator to the trial generation station; and a controller having logic for causing the screen replicator to transfer the screen solutions from the screen storage plate to multiple crystallization plates, logic for causing the transport mechanism to transport the crystallization plates from the screen replicator to the trial generation station and logic for causing the trial generation station to generate crystallization trials in the crystallization plates.

Abstract: A silica glass crucible includes a thin barium-doped inner layer, a stable, bubble-free intermediate layer, and a stable opaque outer layer. The fusion process of the present invention controls the dynamic gas balance at the fusion front where formed grain is melted to dense fused silica. The crucible demonstrates reduced bubble growth during a Czochralski process. As a result of the thin barium-doped layer and the reduced bubble growth, the inner surface of the crucible is uniformly minimally textured during a CZ process. The present crucible is especially suited for intense CZ processes for manufacturing silicon ingots used for solar cells or with silicon that is heavily doped with antimony, boron, or arsenic.

Abstract: An object of the invention is to carry out the flux method with improved work efficiency while maintaining the purity of flux at high level and saving flux material cost. The sodium-purifying apparatus includes a sodium-holding-and-management apparatus for maintaining purified sodium (Na) in a liquid state. Liquid sodium is supplied into a sodium-holding-and-management apparatus through a liquid-sodium supply piping maintained at 100° C. to 200° C. The sodium-holding-and-management apparatus further has an argon-gas-purifying apparatus for controlling the condition of argon (Ar) gas that fills the internal space thereof. Thus, by opening and closing a faucet at desired timing, purified liquid sodium (Na) supplied from the sodium-purifying apparatus can be introduced into a crucible as appropriate via the liquid-sodium supply piping, the sodium-holding-and-management apparatus, and the piping.

Abstract: A high quality single crystal wafer of SiC is disclosed. The wafer has a diameter of at least about 3 inches, a warp of less than about 5 ?m, a bow less than about 5 ?m, and a total thickness variation of less than about 2.0 ?m.

Abstract: A semiconductor compound material, preferably a III-N-bulk crystal or a III-N-layer, is manufactured in a reactor by means of hydride vapour phase epitaxy (HVPE), wherein in a mixture of carrier gases a flow profile represented by local mass flow rates is formed in the reactor. The mixture can carry one or more reaction gases towards a substrate. Thereby, a concentration of hydrogen important for the reaction and deposition of reaction gases is adjusted at the substrate surface independently from the flow profile simultaneously formed in the reactor.

Abstract: In a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a method is provided for marking a sample of a doped crystalline material. According to a feature of the present invention, the method comprises the steps of causing a controlled alteration to the crystalline material at a preselected spot on the sample of the crystalline material, sufficient to cause a change in a cathodoluminescence spectrum of the crystalline material at the preselected spot and utilizing the altered cathodoluminescence spectrum to mark the crystalline material.

Abstract: A crystallization apparatus includes an illumination system which applies illumination light for crystallization to a non-single-crystal semiconductor film, and a phase shifter which includes first and second regions disposed to form a straight boundary and transmitting the illumination light from the illumination system by a first phase retardation therebetween, and phase-modulates the illumination light to provide a light intensity distribution having an inverse peak pattern that light intensity falls in a zone of the non-single-crystal semiconductor film containing an axis corresponding to the boundary. The phase shifter further includes a small region which extends into at least one of the first and second regions from the boundary and transmits the illumination light by a second phase retardation with respect to the at least one of the first and second regions.

Abstract: A silicon production reactor including a reaction vessel and heating element, the reaction vessel has a vertically extending wall and a space surrounded by the wall, the heating element being capable of heating at least a part, including lower end portion, of the wall's surface facing the space to a temperature of not lower than the melting point of silicon, the silicon production reactor being adapted to flow raw gas for silicon deposition from an upper part of the space of the reaction vessel toward a lower part thereof, characterized in that the space of the reaction vessel is of slit form in cross-sectional view. This silicon production reactor is capable of attaining improvement with respect to problems encountered at apparatus scale-up, such as decrease of reactivity of raw gas and generation of by-products, thereby accomplishing a striking enhancement of production efficiency.

Abstract: A seed crystal holder for growing single crystals, such as for use in scintillation detectors for nuclear medicine. The holder includes a cooling shaft, a fastener attached to the cooling shaft, and a gasket for separating the cooling shaft from the seed crystal. The gasket is made of a heat-transferable material such as steel wool or metallic foil to conduct heat from the seed crystal to the cooling shaft, while also providing a cushioning effect to cushion the seed crystal against potentially damaging motion forces.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for producing one or more single crystalline diamonds. One or more diamond seeds are placed in a substrate holder in a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) chamber. One or more metal discs are then positioned in the chemical vapor deposition chamber such that high temperature is generated at low microwave power. A diamond forming gas is then provided adjacent to the one or more diamond seeds. Plasma is then generated from the diamond forming gas by exposing the diamond forming gas to microwave radiation. The one or more diamond seeds are then exposed to the plasma under certain conditions to form single crystalline diamonds. The position of the plasma is manipulated to provide uniform growth conditions at the growth surface of the one or more diamond seeds.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a susceptor (3) for epitaxial reactors, comprising a body (31) provided typically with at least one recess (311) for housing substrates on which epitaxial growth is performed; the susceptor (3) comprises a projecting part (32) able to be gripped by a tool (9) so as to be introduced into and extracted from a reaction chamber (12) of an epitaxial reactor.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for growing a crystalline or poly-crystalline body from a melt is described, wherein the melt is retained by capillary attachment to edge features of a mesa crucible. The boundary profile of the resulting melt surface results in an effect which induces a ribbon grown from the surface of the melt to grow as a flat body. Further, the size of the melt pool is substantially reduced by bringing these edges close to the ribbon, thereby reducing the materials cost and electric power cost associated with the process.

Abstract: The invention provides a crystallizing method and an apparatus for producing a biopolymer capable of simplifying operations for taking out a produced crystal and mounting the crystal onto a crystal structure analyzer, thereby improving efficiency in the operations as well as reducing a labor burden. A crystallizing apparatus for producing a biopolymer crystal from a solution containing a biopolymer includes a crystal-growing chip 10 made of a material allowing electromagnetic waves to permeate through the chip, and in which a circular frame 16 is formed to retain a droplet 20 of a solution containing a biopolymer and a biopolymer crystal 28 produced in the droplet.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a single crystal includes the steps of: flowing a raw material gas toward a seed crystal in a reactive chamber so that the single crystal grows from the seed crystal; controlling the raw material gas by a gas flow control member having a cylindrical shape; passing the raw material gas through a clearance between the seed crystal and an inner wall of the gas flow control member; and flowing a part of the raw material gas to bypass the seed crystal. The method provides the single crystal having good quality.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus for vapour phase crystal growth to produce multiple single crystals in one growth cycle comprising one central source chamber, a plurality of growth chambers, a plurality of passage means adapted for transport of vapour from the source chamber to the growth chambers, wherein the source chamber is thermally decoupled from the growth chambers.

Abstract: A crystallization method includes the steps of melting a crystallized material in a crucible by heating, and growing a crystal by cooling and coagulating the melted material, wherein said melting step includes introducing a predetermined gas into the melted material.

Abstract: A crucible for growing III-nitride (e.g., aluminum nitride) single crystals is provided. The crucible includes an elongated wall structure defining an interior crystal growth cavity. Embodiments include a plurality of grains and a wall thickness of at least about 1.5 times the average grain size. In particular embodiments, the crucible includes first and second layers of grains the first layer including grains forming an inside surface thereof and the second layer being superposed with the first layer. The crucible may be fabricated from tungsten-rhenium (W—Re) alloys; rhenium (Re); tantalum monocarbide (TaC); tantalum nitride (Ta2N); hafnium nitride (HfN); a mixture of tungsten and tantalum (W—Ta); tungsten (W); and combinations thereof.