Abstract: Methods and apparatus for in-situ plasma cleaning of a deposition chamber are provided. In one embodiment a method for plasma cleaning a deposition chamber without breaking vacuum is provided. The method comprises positioning a substrate on a susceptor disposed in the chamber and circumscribed by an electrically floating deposition ring, depositing a metal film on the substrate and the deposition ring in the chamber, grounding the metal film deposited on the deposition ring without breaking vacuum, and removing contaminants from the chamber with a plasma formed in the chamber without resputtering the metal film on the grounded deposition ring and without breaking vacuum.

Abstract: Planetary carriers (22) for workpieces mounted on a carousel (19) are provided within a vacuum chamber. A source (24) for a cloud comprising ions (CL) is provided so that a central axis (ACL) of the cloud intercepts the rotary axis (A20) of the carousel (19). The cloud (CL) has an ion density profile at the moving path (T) of planetary axes (A22) which drops to 50% of the maximum ion density at a distance from the addressed center axis (ACL) which is at most half the diameter of the planetary carriers (22). When workpieces upon the planetary carriers (22) are etched by the cloud comprising ions material which is etched off is substantially not redeposited on neighboring planetary carriers but rather ejected towards the wall of the vacuum chamber.

Abstract: A method for processing substrate in a processing chamber, which has at least one plasma generating source and a gas source for providing process gas into the chamber, is provided. The method includes exciting the plasma generating source with an RF signal having RF frequency. The method further includes pulsing the gas source, using at least a first gas pulsing frequency, such that a first process gas is flowed into the chamber during a first portion of a gas pulsing period and a second process gas is flowed into the chamber during a second portion of the gas pulsing period, which is associated with the first gas pulsing frequency. The second process gas has a lower reactant-gas-to-inert-gas ratio relative to a reactant-gas-to-inert-gas ratio of the first process gas. The second process gas is formed by removing at least a portion of a reactant gas flow from the first process gas.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a piezoelectric thin film resonator which can reduce variations in resonant frequency and resonant resistance by uniformly planarizing a structural film. The method of manufacturing the piezoelectric thin film resonator includes the steps of forming sacrifice layer patterns on an upper surface of a mother substrate; forming a dielectric film on the sacrifice layer patterns; processing a surface of the dielectric film by a plasma treatment; forming vibration portions on the dielectric film, the vibration portions each being composed of two excitation electrodes and a piezoelectric thin film provided therebetween; etching the sacrifice layer patterns; and cutting the mother substrate into separate piezoelectric thin film resonators.

Abstract: A three step ion beam etch (IBE) sequence involving low energy (<300 eV) is disclosed for trimming a sensor critical dimension (free layer width=FLW) to less than 50 nm. A first IBE step has a steep incident angle with respect to the sensor sidewall and accounts for 60% to 90% of the FLW reduction. The second IBE step has a shallow incident angle and a sweeping motion to remove residue from the first IBE step and further trim the sidewall. The third IBE step has a steep incident angle to remove damaged sidewall portions from the second step and accounts for 10% to 40% of the FLW reduction. As a result, FLW approaching 30 nm is realized while maintaining high MR ratio of over 60% and low RA of 1.2 ohm-?m2. Sidewall angle is manipulated by changing one or more ion beam incident angles.

Abstract: A method for producing a piezoelectric thin-film resonator includes forming a sacrificial layer on a substrate, performing a plasma treatment on the sacrificial layer so that the surface roughness (Ra) of end surface portions of the sacrificial layer is about 5 nm or less, forming a strip-shaped dielectric film so as to be continuously disposed on the surface of the substrate and the end surface portions and the principal surface of the sacrificial layer, forming a piezoelectric thin-film area including a lower electrode, an upper electrode, and a piezoelectric thin-film disposed therebetween so that a portion of the lower electrode and a portion of the upper electrode surface each other at an area on the dielectric film, the area being disposed on the upper portion of the sacrificial layer, and removing the sacrificial layer to form an air-gap between the substrate and the dielectric film.

Abstract: A structured diamond tool having a predefined grayscale grating profile shape allows a corresponding grayscale grating profile to be machined into a work piece with a single pass with high accuracy. Manufacture of grayscale gratings using this technique saves time compared to the situation where the profile is machined by a single-point diamond tool with multiple passes. Also, more time-saving is realized if more than one period is machined in the diamond tool. Such a tool can be manufactured using a high precision focused ion beam (FIB), which is a true nanomachining tool that can machine features on the order of tens of nanometers. The diamond tool made by FIB therefore has extremely fine resolution and features required by the grayscale grating.

Abstract: An electrode for forming an electrochemical cell with a substrate and a method of forming said electrode. The electrode comprises a carrier provided with an insulating layer which is patterned at a front side. Conducting material in an electrode layer is applied in the cavities of the patterned insulating layer and in contact with the carrier. A connection layer is applied at the backside of the carrier and in contact with the carrier. The periphery of the electrode is covered by the insulating material.

Abstract: In a method of forming a nanopore in a nanometric material, a nanopore nucleation site is formed at a location that is interior to lateral edges of the nanometric material by directing a first energetic beam, selected from the group of ion beam and neutral atom beam, at the interior location for a first time duration that imposes a first beam dose which causes removal of no more than five interior atoms from the interior location to produce at the interior location a nanopore nucleation site having a plurality of edge atoms. A nanopore is then formed at the nanopore nucleation site by directing a second energetic beam, selected from the group consisting of electron beam, ion beam, and neutral atom beam, at the nanopore nucleation site with a beam energy that removes edge atoms at the nanopore nucleation site but does not remove bulk atoms from the nanometric material.

Abstract: A process is described for modification of a surface of a substrate by ion bombardment, in which the ions are produced by means of a magnetic field-assisted glow discharge in a process gas. The magnetic field-assisted glow discharge is produced by means of a magnetron having an electrode and at least one magnet for production of the magnetic field. The process gas has at least one electronegative constituent, such that negative ions are produced in the magnetic field-assisted glow discharge, and the negative ions which are produced at the surface of the electrode are accelerated in the direction of the substrate by an electrical voltage applied to the electrode.

Abstract: A method according to one embodiment includes placing a substrate in a chamber; and plasma sputtering the substrate in a presence of a non-zero pressure of a vapor, wherein the vapor at the non-zero pressure is effective to diminish an etch rate of a first material of the substrate. A plasma sputtering apparatus according to one embodiment includes a chamber; a reservoir in the chamber for releasing a vapor at an established rate; a mount for a substrate; and a plasma source.

Abstract: A processing method having excellent processing performance at a low flow rate is provided. A method for processing a surface of a sample uses reactive clusters produced by adiabatic expansion of a gas mixture ejected from a nozzle into a vacuum processing chamber. The gas mixture contains a reactive gas chlorine trifluoride, a first inert gas argon, and a second inert gas xenon. The gas mixture in an inlet of the nozzle has a pressure of 0.4 MPa (abs) or more. The reactive gas constitutes 3% by volume or more and 10% by volume or less. The first inert gas constitutes 40% by volume or more and 94% by volume or less. The second inert gas constitutes 3% by volume or more and 50% by volume or less of the gas mixture.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a magnetic recording medium, includes, in the order recited, the steps of forming a mask protective film composed of carbon on a magnetic layer; forming a resist with a predetermined pattern on the mask protective film; forming a protective mask by etching the mask protective film using the resist as a mask; forming protrusions and recesses on a magnetic layer by etching the magnetic layer using the resist and the protective mask as masks; removing the protective mask, including removing the mask protective film comprised of carbon, using ultraviolet light with a principal wavelength not longer than 340 nm; and forming a protective layer on the magnetic layer having the protrusions and recesses formed thereon.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods of providing a hermetically sealed optical connection between an optical fiber and an optical element of a chip and a photonic-integrated chip manufactured using such methods.

Abstract: In a method of producing an exhaust-gas heat exchanger of a motor vehicle, at least one component of the exhaust-gas heat exchanger, e.g. an outer jacket or ducts arranged in the outer jacket or metal sheets, is subjected to an electrochemical machining process to produce a homogenous and smooth surface. The electrochemical machining process may involve plasma-polishing or electro-polishing.

Abstract: A method and system for performing gas cluster ion beam (GCIB) etch processing of various materials is described. In particular, the GCIB etch processing includes setting one or more GCIB properties of a GCIB process condition for the GCIB to achieve one or more target etch process metrics.

Abstract: A method of etching a programmable memory microelectronic device (10) having a substrate covered with at least one of the following layers in succession: a first electrode (2) based on a first metallic element; a layer (4) of chalcogenide doped with a second metallic element; a second electrode (5) based on a third metallic element; a diffusion barrier type electrically-conductive layer (6); and a hard mask (7); is provided. The method includes etching, using an inert gas plasma, at least the hard mask (7), the electrically-conductive layer (6), the second electrode (5) and the chalcogenide layer (4), where the etching step is carried out by cathode sputtering at a temperature strictly less than 150° C., preferably at a temperature of at most 120° C., and particularly preferably at a temperature of at most 100° C.

Abstract: A rotary deposition target bonded to a backing tube such that the bonding material is applied only at the ends of the rotary sputtering target to form a gap between the rotary sputtering target and the backing tube to enable a target cooling fluid used during the deposition process to contact the target directly and to provide a hermetic seal to contain the cooling fluid within the gap and prevent the fluid from being exposed to the environment within the deposition chamber.

Abstract: Combinatorial processing of a substrate comprising site-isolated sputter deposition and site-isolated plasma etching can be performed in a same process chamber.

Abstract: The invention is directed at sputter targets including 50 atomic % or more molybdenum, a second metal element of titanium, and a third metal element of chromium or tantalum, and deposited films prepared by the sputter targets. In a preferred aspect of the invention, the sputter target includes a phase that is rich in molybdenum, a phase that is rich in titanium, and a phase that is rich in the third metal element.

Abstract: Local plasma density, e.g., the plasma density in the vicinity of the substrate, is increased by providing an ion extractor configured to transfer ions and electrons from a first region of magnetically confined plasma (typically a region of higher density plasma) to a second region of plasma (typically a region of lower density plasma). The second region of plasma is preferably also magnetically shaped or confined and resides between the first region of plasma and the substrate. A positively biased conductive member positioned proximate the second region of plasma serves as an ion extractor. A positive bias of about 50-300 V is applied to the ion extractor causing electrons and subsequently ions to be transferred from the first region of plasma to the vicinity of the substrate, thereby forming higher density plasma. Provided methods and apparatus are used for deposition and resputtering.

Abstract: A method for forming a diamond-like carbon (DLC) layer on air bearing surface (ABS) of a slider, comprises steps of: providing sliders arranged in arrays, each slider having an ABS; forming a mixing layer in the ABS of the slider by depositing a first DLC layer on the ABS, the mixing layer consisting of the slider material and the first DLC layer material; removing the first DLC layer to make the mixing layer exposed; forming a second DLC layer on the mixing layer.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an apparatus for manufacturing a template includes a vacuum chamber, an electrode and an adjustor. The vacuum chamber includes an inlet and an exhaust port of a reactive gas. The vacuum chamber is capable of maintaining an atmosphere depressurized below atmospheric pressure. The electrode is provided in an interior of the vacuum chamber. A high frequency voltage is applied to the electrode. A substrate is placed on the electrode. The substrate has a back surface on a side of the electrode. A recess is provided in the back surface. The adjustor is inserted into the recess. The adjustor is insulative.

Abstract: A charge transfer mechanism is used to locally deposit or remove material for a small structure. A local electrochemical cell is created without having to immerse the entire work piece in a bath. The charge transfer mechanism can be used together with a charged particle beam or laser system to modify small structures, such as integrated circuits or micro-electromechanical system. The charge transfer process can be performed in air or, in some embodiments, in a vacuum chamber.

Abstract: This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus for fabricating electromechanical system devices within a plasma-etch reaction chamber. In one aspect, a plasma-etch system includes a plasma-etch reaction chamber, an inlet in fluid communication with the reaction chamber, a cathode positioned within the reaction chamber and a non-hollow anode positioned within the reaction chamber between the inlet and the cathode. The inlet is configured to introduce a process gas into the reaction chamber such that at least a portion of the process gas strikes an upper surface of the anode and is allowed to flow across the upper surface and around the edges of the anode. The anode can be a liner plate in place of a showerhead.

Abstract: A method for reducing the height of a defect associated with an air bearing surface of a hard disk drive slider is disclosed. The technology initially ion mills for a first period of time at a first angle relative to an air bearing surface of a disk drive slider to remove a first portion of the air bearing surface. Then the technology ion mills for a second period of time at a second angle relative to an air bearing surface of the disk drive slider to remove a second portion of the air bearing surface. The second portion of the air bearing surface comprises a defect wherein the ion milling at the second angle reduces the height of the defect with respect to the air bearing surface.

Abstract: The arrangement and method for sputtering material onto a workpiece and cleaning a target of the sputtering chamber includes exposing a target to an electromagnetic field of a strength sufficient to remove particles from the target. The electromagnetic field is generated by an electromagnetic device that is positioned in proximity to the target and generates a strength greater than a strength of a cathode magnetic field behind the target to safely remove the contaminating particulates from the target, which may be made of a strong magnetic material.

Abstract: Nano-structured layers having a random nano-structured anisotropic major surface.

Abstract: A coupling conductor for a YIG filter or YIG oscillator, which may be produced from a metallic foil by eroding, laser cutting and/or etching of a metallic foil. The coupling conductor includes at least one curved section, which at least partially surrounds a YIG element and at least one conductor section.

Abstract: A vacuum process for etching a metal strip running over a backing roll facing a counterelectrode by magnetron sputtering, and a vacuum chamber etching installation implementing the process. A plasma is created in a gas close to the metal strip so as to generate radicals and/or ions that act on the strip, and at least one closed magnetic circuit, the width of which is approximately equal to that of the metal strip, is selected from a series of at least two closed magnetic circuits of different and fixed widths, then the selected magnetic circuit is positioned so as to face the metal strip, and then the etching of the moving metal strip is carried out.

Abstract: Fluidic conduits, which can be used in microarraying systems, dip pen nanolithography systems, fluidic circuits, and microfluidic systems, are disclosed that use channel spring probes that include at least one capillary channel. Formed from spring beams (e.g., stressy metal beams) that curve away from the substrate when released, channels can either be integrated into the spring beams or formed on the spring beams. Capillary forces produced by the narrow channels allow liquid to be gathered, held, and dispensed by the channel spring probes. Because the channel spring beams can be produced using conventional semiconductor processes, significant design flexibility and cost efficiencies can be achieved.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for magnetron sputter coating of an interior surface of a hollow substrate defining at least one irregular contour. The apparatus may contain a vacuum chamber and a target containing one or more metals having an exterior surface defining at least one irregular contour. The exterior surface of the target may be configured to conform to at least a portion of an irregular contour of the interior surface of the hollow substrate to be coated. A magnet assembly may be supplied which may include a plurality of magnets where the magnets are positioned substantially within a metallic target alloy.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an apparatus and method for depositing coatings on the surface of a workpiece with sputtering material in an ion plasma environment. The apparatus may include a magnetron including a core cooling system surrounded by a magnet assembly and target material having a surface capable of providing a source of sputtering material. An RF plasma generation assembly is also provided in the apparatus including an RF antenna capable of providing an RF plasma and drawing ions to one or both of the workpiece surface and target material surface.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a magnetoresistive sensor having improved pinned layer stability at small track widths. The method includes providing a substrate, and depositing a plurality of sensor layers. A layer of material that is resistant to removal by chemical mechanical polishing (CMP stop layer) and an antireflective coating layer are deposited. A photoresist mask is formed on the antireflective layer, and a reactive ion etch (RIE) is performed to remove portions of the ion mill resistant mask that are not covered by the photoresist mask, the RIE being performed in a plasma chamber having a platen, the performing the RIE further comprising applying a platen power of at least 70 W. An ion milling is performed to remove a portion of the sensor layers, the ion milling being terminating before all of the sensor materials have been removed.

Abstract: A patterned media has a substrate, and a magnetic recording layer on the substrate including protruded magnetic patterns and a nonmagnetic material filled in between the protruded magnetic patterns. In the patterned media, a depth Db and a depth Da, which are defined that Db is a depth from a surface of the magnetic patterns to a surface of the nonmagnetic material filled in a first central part between the magnetic patterns adjacent to each other in a cross-track direction or a down-track direction, and Da is a depth from a surface of the magnetic patterns to a surface of the nonmagnetic material filled in a second central part in a portion surrounded by the magnetic patterns, have a relationship that the depth Da is greater than the depth Db.

Abstract: A PVD coating is disclosed, and in particular a nanoscale multilayer superlattice PVD coating comprising high hardness, a low friction coefficient and increased chemical inertness. The multilayer coating comprises a repeating bilayer represented by (VxMe(i-x))CyN(i-y)/(MezV(1-z))CyN(i-y) where 0.1?x?0.9; 0.01<y<0.99 and 0.1?z?0.9 and Me is a substantially pure metal or a metal alloy. The composition of the coating through the layers alternates from layer to layer according to a V-rich layer and a Me-rich layer modulated sequence. Vanadium is incorporated within the layer composition and has been found to act as a lubricating agent during sliding wear. Carbon, also incorporated within the coating, serves to further stabilize the friction coefficient thereby increasing the chemical inertness between cutting tool and workpiece material.

Abstract: A rotary magnetron is provided with an end block for rotatably supporting a target on an axis of rotation. An elongate magnetic bar assembly is disposed within the target. A stator shaft is affixed in the end block; one end of the stator shaft is coupled to the elongate magnetic bar assembly to support the elongate magnetic bar assembly. The target has a target shaft extending over the stator shaft and rotatable thereon around the axis of rotation. The rotary magnetron is characterized by a rotating coolant seal disposed inside the target shaft proximate the one end of the stator shaft and proximate to the elongate magnetic bar assembly.

Abstract: A multi-chamber processing system is described for depositing materials on multiple workpieces (wafers, display panels, or any other workpieces) at a time in a vacuum chamber. The system includes a sputtering chamber and a separate pre-clean chamber, where wafers can be transferred between the two chambers by a robotic arm without breaking a vacuum. The wafers are mounted one-by-one onto a rotating pallet in the pre-cleaning chamber and sputtering chamber. The pallet is firmly fixed to a rotatable table in the sputtering chamber. Copper tubing in the table couples RF energy to the wafers, and a liquid running through the copper tubing controls the temperature of the wafers. Multiple targets, of the same or different materials, may concurrently deposit material on the wafers as the pallet is rotating. Multiple magnets (one for each target) in the magnetron assembly in the sputtering chamber oscillate over their respective targets for uniform target erosion and uniform deposition on the wafers.

Abstract: Since structural portions of a device made of a plurality of materials are different from one another in mechanical hardness, it is very difficult to uniformly lap the structural portions. This is attributable to generation of machining recessions due to differences in lapped amount when large fixed abrasive grains are used, and generation of lapping marks caused by that the dropped abrasive grains rotate. Accordingly, in order to cope with the disadvantage, it is essential to surely grip abrasive grains of small size to a surface of a surface plate.

Abstract: The invention provides methods for sharpening the tip of an electrical conductor. The methods of the invention are capable of producing tips with an apex radius of curvature less than 2 nm. The methods of the invention are based on simultaneous direction of ionized atoms towards the apex of a previously sharpened conducting tip and application of an electric potential difference to the tip. The sign of the charge on the ions is the same as the sign of the electric potential. The methods of the invention can be used to sharpen metal wires, metal wires tipped with conductive coatings, multi-walled carbon nanotubes, semiconducting nanowires, and semiconductors in other forms.

Abstract: Conductive or barrier material is deposited on a semiconductor substrate having recessed features by a method that has at least two operations. The first operation involves depositing a layer of the material on at least a portion of the field regions of the wafer. The second operation involves resputtering at least the layer residing on the field region of the wafer under high pressure. If the pressure is sufficiently high, momentum transfer reflection of the resputtered material will take place, such that at least some of the resputtered material is placed in the recessed features of the wafer. This approach can, among other advantages, offer improved step coverage and better utilization of the material.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an inductively coupled plasma processing chamber and method for a cylindrical workpiece with a three-dimensional profile, and more particularly to an inductively coupled plasma processing reactor and method for a cylindrical workpiece with a three-dimensional profile, in which the workpiece serving as an internal RF antenna is connected to an RF power source through an impedance matching network at one end, and a terminating capacitor at another end so as to achieve low plasma contamination, confine dense uniform plasma in the substrate vicinity and suppress secondary electrons emitted from the substrate, and a plasma process can be applied to a 3-D linear semiconductor device, a metal, glass, ceramic or polymer substrate having planar or 3-D structured micro or nano patterns, and the like.

Abstract: A physical vapor deposition (PVD) system includes a chamber and a plurality of electromagnetic coils arranged around the chamber. First and second annular bands of permanent magnets are arranged around the chamber with poles oriented perpendicular to a magnetic field imposed by the electromagnetic coils. Each of the permanent magnets in the first annular band is arranged with poles having a first polarity closest to a central axis of the chamber. Each of the permanent magnets in the second annular band is arranged anti-parallel with respect to the permanent magnets in the first annular band.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of making a coated cutting tool comprising providing a substrate, depositing on said substrate a cathodic arc evaporation PVD coating of nitrides, oxides, borides, carbides, carbonitrides, carbooxynitrides, or combinations thereof wherein the coating during deposition is subjected to more than one ion etching step. Cutting tools made according to the present invention will exhibit an increased life time due to increased smoothness of the PVD coating which is due to a reduced number of surface defects.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for making a semiconductor. In one embodiment the method includes applying an adhesive layer to ground-thin or thinned semiconductor chips of a semiconductor wafer. In this embodiment, the adhesive layer composed of curable adhesive is introduced relatively early into a method for the thinning by grinding, separation and singulation of a semiconductor wafer to form thinned semiconductor chips, and is used further in a semiconductor device into which the thinned semiconductor chip is to be incorporated.

Abstract: A disk that is identified as defective in a manufacturing process is reused for conditioning a deposition tool that deposits a magnetic material onto disks. After the disk has been identified as defective, a surface of the disk is cleaned in a cleaning tool to remove a lubricant material using a dry etch process. The cleaned disk is moved from the cleaning tool into the deposition tool. The deposition tool is conditioned by depositing the magnetic material onto the cleaned surface of the disk. Because the disk has been cleaned, reusing the defective disk to condition the deposition tool does not contaminate the deposition tool.

Abstract: A process for etching semiconductors, such as II-VI or III-V semiconductors is provided. The method includes sputter etching the semiconductor through an etching mask using a nonreactive gas, removing the semiconductor and cleaning the chamber with a reactive gas. The etching mask includes a photoresist. Using this method, light-emitting diodes with light extracting elements or nano/micro-structures etched into the semiconductor material can be fabricated.

Abstract: A seed crystal for silicon carbide single crystal growth (13) which is attached to the lid of a graphite crucible charged with a raw material silicon carbide powder. The seed crystal includes a seed crystal (4) formed of silicon carbide having one surface defined as a growth surface (4a) for growing a silicon carbide single crystal by a sublimation method, and a carbon film (12) formed on the surface (4b) opposite to the growth surface of the seed crystal (4). Further, the film density of the carbon film (12) is 1.2 g/cm3 to 3.3 g/cm3.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes a processing chamber including a dielectric window; a coil shaped RF antenna provided outside the dielectric window; a substrate supporting unit, provided in the processing chamber, for mounting thereon a target substrate to be processed; a processing gas supply unit for supplying a desired processing gas to the processing chamber to perform a desired plasma process on the target substrate; and an RF power supply unit for supplying an RF power to the RF antenna to generate a plasma of the processing gas by an inductive coupling in the processing chamber. The apparatus further includes a floating coil electrically floated and arranged at a position outside the processing chamber where the floating coil is to be coupled with the RF antenna by an electromagnetic induction; and a capacitor provided in a loop of the floating coil.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a method of manufacturing a discrete track recording medium includes forming protruded magnetic patterns on a substrate, and repeating processes of depositing a nonmagnetic material so as to be filled in recesses between the magnetic patterns and etching back the nonmagnetic material two or more times with rotating the substrate in a plane thereof by an angle less than one revolution.