Abstract: Treatment systems and associated methods for exposing one or more articles to at least one treatment source are disclosed herein. In one embodiment the system includes a single treatment source. The treatment source and the article or articles being treated are positioned in separately evacuable chambers. In a method of using the first embodiment, the article or articles can be removed from a handling chamber while the treatment source remains in an evacuated environment within a source chamber. Multi-source treatment systems and associated methods are also disclosed herein. Each treatment source in the multi-source systems is positioned in a respective evacuable chamber completely isolated from the other sources which make up the overall system. An evacuable multi-source handling chamber is arranged for selective movement between the source chambers.

Abstract: A method of using amorphous silicon as a photoresist is disclosed herein. The photoresist is produced by first forming a thin film including at least an outermost layer which includes hydrogenated amorphous silicon onto a suitable surface. Predetermined areas of the outermost layer are then exposed to ultraviolet light. Following exposure, the unexposed areas of the outermost layer, along with any underlying associated portions of the film, are removed so as to reveal the surface in areas which underlie the unexposed outermost layer areas. In a first feature, the outermost layer is formed at a temperature no greater than about 100.degree. C. In a second feature, the predetermined areas of the outermost layer are exposed to ultraviolet light at a temperature no greater than about 100.degree. C. In a third feature, the film is formed entirely from hydrogenated amorphous silicon.