Abstract: Methods of etching a patterned substrate may include flowing an oxygen-containing precursor into a first remote plasma region fluidly coupled with a substrate processing region. The oxygen-containing precursor may be flowed into the region while forming a plasma in the first remote plasma region to produce oxygen-containing plasma effluents. The methods may also include flowing a fluorine-containing precursor into a second remote plasma region fluidly coupled with the substrate processing region while forming a plasma in the second remote plasma region to produce fluorine-containing plasma effluents. The methods may include flowing the oxygen-containing plasma effluents and fluorine-containing plasma effluents into the processing region, and using the effluents to etch a patterned substrate housed in the substrate processing region.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for producing microcarriers comprising the following steps: (a) providing a wafer having a sandwich structure comprising a bottom layer, a top layer and an insulating layer located between said bottom and top layers, (b) etching away the top layer to delineate lateral walls of bodies of the microcarriers, (c) depositing a first active layer at least on a top surface of the bodies, (d) applying a continuous polymer layer over the first active layer, (e) etching away the bottom layer and the insulating layer, (f) removing the polymer layer to release the microcarriers.

Abstract: In a plasma processing apparatus including a processing room disposed in a vacuum vessel, a sample stage located in the processing room, a dielectric film disposed on the top surface of the sample stage and serving as the sample mounting surface of the sample stage, and a plurality of electrodes embedded in the dielectric film for chucking the sample to the dielectric film when supplied with electric power, a part of the sample is chucked by supplying electric power to at least one of the electrodes while the sample is mounted on the sample stage; the sample is heated up to a predetermined temperature; a larger part of the sample is chucked by supplying electric power to the other of the electrodes; and the processing of the sample using the plasma is initiated.

Abstract: Methods of forming self-aligned structures on patterned substrates are described. The methods may be used to form metal lines or vias without the use of a separate photolithography pattern definition operation. Self-aligned contacts may be produced regardless of the presence of spacer elements. The methods include directionally ion-implanting a gapfill portion of a gapfill silicon oxide layer to implant into the gapfill portion without substantially ion-implanting the remainder of the gapfill silicon oxide layer (the sidewalls). Subsequently, a remote plasma is formed using a fluorine-containing precursor to etch the patterned substrate such that the gapfill portions of silicon oxide are selectively etched relative to other exposed portions exposed parallel to the ion implantation direction. Without ion implantation, the etch operation would be isotropic owing to the remote nature of the plasma excitation during the etch process.

Abstract: A method for chemical mechanical polishing of a substrate includes polishing the substrate at a stock removal rate of greater than about 2.5 ?/min to achieve a Ra of not greater than about 5.0 ?. The substrate can be a III-V substrate or a SiC substrate. The polishing utilizes a chemical mechanical polishing slurry comprising ultra-dispersed diamonds and at least 80 wt % water.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for producing microcarriers, the method comprising the steps of providing a wafer having a bottom layer, a top layer and an insulating layer, structuring the top layer to define at least one three-dimensional structure on the top surface of the top layer, etching away the top layer to delineate lateral walls of bodies of the microcarriers, applying a continuous polymer layer over the top surface of the bodies of the microcarriers, removing the bottom layer and the insulating layer, structuring the bottom surfaces of the bodies of the microcarriers to define at least one three-dimensional structure on the bottom surface of each body, and removing the polymer layer to release the microcarriers.

Abstract: A plasma processing method of the present disclosure includes attaching a Si-containing material or a N-containing material to an electrostatic chuck that is provided in a processing container and attached with a reaction product containing C and F, in a state where a workpiece is not mounted on the electrostatic chuck; adsorbing the workpiece by the electrostatic chuck attached with the Si-containing material or the N-containing material when the workpiece is carried into the processing container; processing the workpiece with plasma; and separating the workpiece processed with plasma from the electrostatic chuck attached with the Si-containing material or the N-containing material.

Abstract: A manufacturing method for a grating is disclosed for the angular dispersion of light impinging the grating. The grating comprises tapered structures and cavities. A cavity width and/or corrugation amplitude is varied for achieving a desired grating efficiency according to calculation. A method is disclosed for conveniently creating gratings with variable cavity width and/or corrugation amplitude. The method comprises the step of anisotropically etching a groove pattern into a grating master. Optionally a replica is produced that is complementary to the grating master. By variation of an etching resist pattern, the cavity width of the grating may be varied allowing the optimization towards different efficiency goals.

Abstract: A method of forming a wave guide for a heat assisted magnetic recording slider of a disk drive includes depositing a layer of waveguide material onto a substrate, and depositing a layer of a hard mask material onto the waveguide material. The method then includes depositing a layer of photoresist onto the hard mask material, and exposing the photoresist to produce a hard mask pattern that includes a waveguide pattern. The method also includes stripping the photoresist material leaving the hard mask pattern having a first line edge roughness. The method also includes removing the waveguide material not covered by the hard mask, the waveguide having sidewalls which having a line edge roughness which is substantially equal to the first line edge roughness. Also disclosed is an apparatus for accomplishing the method.

Abstract: A chemical mechanical polishing composition for polishing a substrate having a tungsten layer includes a water based liquid carrier and colloidal silica abrasive particles dispersed in the liquid carrier. The colloidal silica abrasive particles have a permanent positive charge of at least 6 mV. About 30 percent or more of the colloidal silica abrasive particles include three or more aggregated primary particles.

Abstract: An apparatus for treating a wafer-shaped article, comprises a spin chuck for holding a wafer-shaped article in a predetermined orientation, a liquid dispenser for dispensing a treatment liquid onto a downwardly facing surface of a wafer-shaped article when positioned on the spin chuck, and a gas dispenser for dispensing a gas within a gap defined between the downwardly-facing surface of the wafer-shaped article and an upper surface of the spin chuck.

Abstract: Methods of selectively etching aluminum oxide from the surface of a patterned substrate are described. The etch selectively removes aluminum oxide relative to other metal oxides and silicon-containing films such as silicon, polysilicon, silicon oxide, silicon germanium and/or silicon nitride. The methods include exposing aluminum oxide to plasma effluents formed in a remote plasma from a chlorine-containing precursor and a hydrocarbon. A remote plasma is used to excite the precursors and a local plasma is used to further excite the plasma effluents and accelerate ions toward the patterned substrate.

Abstract: Provided are a multi-selective polishing slurry composition and a semiconductor element production method using the same. A silicon film provided with element patterns is formed on the uppermost part of a substrate having a first region and a second region. The element pattern density on the first region is higher than the element pattern density on the second region. Formed in sequence on top of the element patterns are a first silicon oxide film, a silicon nitride film and a second silicon oxide film. The substrate is subjected to chemical-mechanical polishing until the silicon film is exposed, by using a polishing slurry composition containing a polishing agent, a silicon nitride film passivation agent and a silicon film passivation agent.

Abstract: In a plasma processing method for plasma-etching magnetic layer by using a plasma processing device including a processing chamber in which a sample is plasma-processed, a dielectric window to seal an upper part of the processing chamber hermetically, an inductive coupling antenna disposed above the dielectric window, a radio-frequency power source to supply radio-frequency electric power to the inductive coupling antenna and a Faraday shield disposed between the inductive coupling antenna and the dielectric window, a deposit layer is formed on the plasma-etched magnetic layer by plasma processing while applying radio-frequency voltage to the Faraday shield after the magnetic layer is plasma-etched.

Abstract: Disclosed are a chemical-mechanical polishing composition and a method of polishing a substrate. The polishing composition comprises low average particle size (e.g., 30 nm or less) wet-process ceria abrasive particles, at least one alcohol amine, and water, wherein said polishing composition has a pH of about 6. The polishing composition can be used, e.g., to polish any suitable substrate, such as a polysilicon wafer used in the semiconductor industry.

Abstract: Provided are azeotropic or azeotrope-like mixtures of 1,3,3-trichloro-1,1-difluoro-propane (HCFC-242fa) and hydrogen fluoride. Such compositions are useful as a feed stock or intermediate in the production of HFC-245fa and HCFO-1233zd.

Abstract: A composition and method for tungsten is provided comprising: a metal oxide abrasive; an oxidizer; a tungsten removal rate enhancing substance according to formula I; and, water; wherein the polishing composition exhibits an enhanced tungsten removal rate and a tungsten removal rate enhancement.

Abstract: Method for producing a substrate comprising at least one getter material arranged on the walls of at least one blind hole, comprising at least the steps of: etching the blind hole through a first face of the substrate, depositing a continuous layer of getter material on the whole of the first face of the substrate and at least on the side walls of the blind hole, etching part of the layer of getter material located on the first face of the substrate such that said first face of the substrate is no longer covered by the getter material, in which the step of etching part of the layer of getter material comprises the implementation of an etching by ion beam machining, or chemical-mechanical planarization or polishing.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes at least three gas supply lines connected to a process chamber in parallel to allow a gas to flow therethrough, and at least three flow-rate controllers provided on the gas supply lines to detect the flow rate of the gas flowing through each of the flow-rate controllers to control the flow rate to a set value and a diagnosis method. The apparatus has a function of splitting and supplying a gas controlled to a predetermined flow rate by the third flow-rate controller, to a first flow-rate controller for the smallest detectable range of the three flow-rate controllers and to a second flow-rate controller, in order to test the operation of the control of the flow rate of the first flow-rate controller, based on the value obtained from the flow rate of the gas flowing through the second flow-rate controller and the predetermined flow rate.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method and an apparatus for manufacturing a semiconductor device including step S22 to form an insulating film on a front surface of a semiconductor wafer that is a surface on which a semiconductor element is to be formed and on a back surface that is a surface opposing the front surface, step S26 to remove the insulating film formed on the back surface by selectively providing a first chemical on the back surface of the semiconductor wafer, and step S30 to remove the insulating film formed on the front surface by simultaneously immersing the plurality of semiconductor wafers in a second chemical.