Abstract: Embodiments of the present technology may include an electroplating system. The electroplating system may include a vessel. The system may also include a wafer holder configured for holding a wafer in the vessel. The system may further include an anode in the vessel. In addition, the method may include a plurality of thief electrodes. For each thief electrode of the plurality of thief electrodes, a thief current channel may be defined by a channel wall. The channel wall for each thief electrode may define an aperture adjacent to the wafer holder. The thief current channel may extend from each thief electrode to the aperture. The system may include a current control system in electrical communication with the plurality of thief electrodes. The current control system may be configured such that an amount of current delivered to each thief electrode can be adjusted independently.

Abstract: Methods comprising forming a film on at least one feature of a substrate surface are described. The film is expanded to fill the at least one feature and cause growth of the film from the at least one feature. Methods of forming self-aligned vias are also described.

Abstract: Methods for forming a spacer comprising depositing a film on the top, bottom and sidewalls of a feature and treating the film to change a property of the film on the top and bottom of the feature so that the film can be selectively etched from the top and bottom of the feature relative to the film on the sidewalls of the feature.

Abstract: Processing methods comprising selectively replacing a first pillar material with a second pillar material in a self-aligned process are described. The first pillar material may be grown orthogonally to the substrate surface and replaced with a second pillar material to leave a substantially similar shape and alignment as the first pillar material.

Abstract: Processing methods comprising depositing a film on a substrate surface and in a surface feature with chemical planarization to remove the film from the substrate surface, leaving the film in the feature. A pillar is grown from the film so that the pillar grows orthogonally to the substrate surface.

Abstract: Methods of forming 3-d flash memory cells are described. The methods allow the cells to be produced despite a misalignment in at least two sections (top and bottom), each having multiple charge storage locations. The methods include selectively gas-phase etching dielectric from the bottom memory hole portion by delivering the etchants through the top memory hole. Two options for completing the methods include (1) forming a ledge spacer to allow reactive ion etching of the bottom polysilicon portion without damaging polysilicon or charge-trap/ONO layer on the ledge, and (2) placing sacrificial silicon oxide gapfill in the bottom memory hole, selectively forming protective conformal silicon nitride elsewhere, then removing the sacrificial silicon oxide gapfill before performing the reactive ion etching of the bottom polysilicon portion as before.

Abstract: Methods for deposition of elemental metal films on surfaces using metal coordination complexes comprising nitrogen-containing ligands are provided. Also provided are nitrogen-containing ligands useful in the methods of the invention and metal coordination complexes comprising these ligands.

Abstract: A method of surface mounting micro-devices includes adhering a first plurality of micro-devices on a donor substrate to a transfer surface with an adhesive layer, removing the first plurality of micro-devices from donor substrate while the first plurality of micro-devices remain adhered to the transfer surface, positioning the transfer surface relative to a destination substrate so that a subset of the plurality of micro-devices on the transfer surface abut a plurality of receiving positions on the destination substrate, the subset including one or more micro-devices but less than all of micro-devices of the plurality of micro-devices, selectively neutralizing one or more of regions of the adhesive layer on the transfer surface corresponding to the subset of micro-device to light to detach the subset of micro-devices from the adhesive layer, and separating the transfer surface from the destination substrate such that the subset of micro-devices remain on the destination substrate.

Abstract: Methods comprising depositing a film material to form an initial film in a trench in a substrate surface are described. The film is treated to expand the film to grow beyond the substrate surface.

Abstract: Exemplary methods for laterally etching silicon nitride may include flowing a fluorine-containing precursor and an oxygen-containing precursor into a remote plasma region of a semiconductor processing chamber. The methods may include forming a plasma within the remote plasma region to generate plasma effluents of the fluorine-containing precursor and the oxygen-containing precursor. The methods may also include flowing the plasma effluents into a processing region of the semiconductor processing chamber. A substrate may be positioned within the processing region, and the substrate may include a trench formed through stacked layers including alternating layers of silicon nitride and silicon oxide. The methods may also include laterally etching the layers of silicon nitride from sidewalls of the trench while substantially maintaining the layers of silicon oxide. The layers of silicon nitride may be laterally etched less than 10 nm from the sidewalls of the trench.

Abstract: A slurry for chemical mechanical planarization includes water, 1-3 wt. % of abrasive particles having an average diameter of at least 10 nm and less than 100 nm and an outer surface of ceria, and ½-3 wt. % of at least one amine.

Abstract: Exemplary methods for selectively removing silicon (e.g. polysilicon) from a patterned substrate may include flowing a fluorine-containing precursor into a substrate processing chamber to form plasma effluents. The plasma effluents may remove silicon (e.g. polysilicon, amorphous silicon or single crystal silicon) at significantly higher etch rates compared to exposed silicon oxide, silicon nitride or other dielectrics on the substrate. The methods rely on the temperature of the substrate in combination with some conductivity of the surface to catalyze the etch reaction rather than relying on a gas phase source of energy such as a plasma.

Abstract: Methods and systems for etching substrates using a remote plasma are described. Remotely excited etchants are formed in a remote plasma and flowed through a showerhead into a substrate processing region to etch the substrate. Optical emission spectra are acquired from the substrate processing region just above the substrate. The optical emission spectra may be used to determine an endpoint of the etch, determine the etch rate or otherwise characterize the etch process. A weak plasma may be present in the substrate processing region. The weak plasma may have much lower intensity than the remote plasma. In cases where no bias plasma is used above the substrate in an etch process, a weak plasma may be ignited near a viewport disposed near the side of the substrate processing region to characterize the etchants.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure provide an apparatus and methods for forming a hardmask layer that may be utilized to transfer patterns or features to a film stack with accurate profiles and dimension control for manufacturing three dimensional (3D) stacked semiconductor devices. In one embodiment, a method of forming a hardmask layer on a substrate includes forming a seed layer comprising boron on a film stack disposed on a substrate by supplying a seed layer gas mixture in a processing chamber, forming a transition layer comprising born and tungsten on the seed layer by supplying a transition layer gas mixture in the processing chamber, and forming a bulk hardmask layer on the transition layer by supplying a main deposition gas mixture in the processing chamber.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods of measuring and controlling the gap between a susceptor assembly and a gas distribution assembly are described. Apparatus and methods for positional control and temperature control for wafer transfer purposes are also described.

Abstract: A method for process analysis includes acquiring first inspection data, using a first inspection modality, with respect to a substrate having multiple instances of a predefined pattern of features formed thereon using different, respective sets of process parameters. Characteristics of defects identified in the first inspection data are processed so as to select a first set of defect locations in which the first inspection data are indicative of an influence of the process parameters on the defects. Second inspection data are acquired, using a second inspection modality having a finer resolution than the first inspection modality, of the substrate at the locations in the first set. The defects appearing in the second inspection data are analyzed so as to select, from within the first set of the locations, a second set of the locations in which the second inspection data are indicative of an optimal range of the process parameters.

Abstract: An additive manufacturing apparatus includes a platform, a dispenser to dispense layers of feed material on the platform, and a fusing system to direct an energy beam to fuse at least a portion of the outermost layer of feed material. The fusing system includes an energy source to emit the energy beam, a deformable mirror to receive the energy beam and reflect the energy beam, wherein a shape of the deformable mirror defines at least in part an intensity profile of the energy beam on the outermost layer of feed material, an actuator coupled to the deformable mirror, and a controller coupled to the actuator and configured to cause the actuator to deform the shape of the deformable mirror to adjust the intensity profile of the energy beam on the outermost layer of feed material in accordance to a desired profile.

Abstract: A system for controlling the operation of apparatus for electroplating semiconductor substrates includes operating in a high mode of operation in which an off-the-shelf power supply provides current or voltage that is directly used to produce the channel control signal and in a low mode of operation in which the off-the-shelf power supply biases a circuit that provides a current or voltage to produce the channel control signal.

Abstract: A substrate support assembly includes a ceramic puck and a thermally conductive base having an upper surface that is bonded to a lower surface of the ceramic puck. Trenches are formed in the thermally conductive base approximately concentric around a center of the thermally conductive base. The trenches extend from the upper surface towards a lower surface of the thermally conductive base without contacting the lower surface of the thermally conductive base. The thermally conductive base includes thermal zones. The substrate support assembly further includes a thermally insulating material disposed in the trenches. The thermally insulating material in a trench of the trenches provides a degree of thermal isolation between two of the thermal zones separated by the trench at the upper surface of the thermally conductive base.

Abstract: Embodiments presented herein provide techniques for predicting the topography of a product produced from a manufacturing process. One embodiment includes generating a plurality of prediction models. Each of the plurality of prediction models corresponds to a respective one of a plurality of positional coordinates of a product produced from a manufacturing process. The method also includes receiving a set of user-specified input parameters to apply to the manufacturing control process. The method further includes generating a graphical representation of a topography map for the product for the user-specified of input parameters based on the plurality of prediction models.