Abstract: A chemical liquid treatment apparatus includes processing chambers; a chemical liquid feeding unit configured to cyclically feed a chemical liquid into the processing chambers; and a modifying unit. The modifying unit, when using a chemical liquid in which an effect thereof varies with a chemical liquid discharge time, is configured to calculate a variation of the effect of the chemical liquid based on the chemical liquid discharge time and is configured to modify the chemical liquid discharge time for each of the processing chambers based on the calculated variation of the effect of the chemical liquid and a cumulative time of the chemical liquid discharge time.

Abstract: Embodiments comprise a system created through fabricating a lens array through which lasers are emitted. The lens array may be fabricated in the semiconductor substrate used for fabricating the lasers or may be a separate substrate of other transparent material that would be aligned to the lasers. In some embodiments, more lenses may be produced than will eventually be used by the lasers. The inner portion of the substrate may be formed with the lenses that will be used for emitting lasers, and the outer portion of the substrate may be formed with lenses that will not be used for emitting lasers—rather, through etching these additional lenses, the inner lenses may be created with a higher quality.

Abstract: A method of etching exposed silicon on patterned heterogeneous structures is described and includes a gas phase etch using plasma effluents formed in a remote plasma. The remote plasma excites a fluorine-containing precursor. Plasma effluents within the remote plasma are flowed into a substrate processing region where the plasma effluents combine with a hydrogen-containing precursor. The combination react with the patterned heterogeneous structures to remove an exposed silicon portion faster than a second exposed portion. The silicon selectivity results from the presence of an ion suppressor positioned between the remote plasma and the substrate processing region. The methods may be used to selectively remove silicon faster than silicon oxide, silicon nitride and a variety of metal-containing materials. The methods may be used to remove small etch amounts in a controlled manner and may result in an extremely smooth silicon surface.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of producing a processing condition of a plasma processing apparatus. The method includes producing a plurality of processing conditions having different processing parameters, which are applied to an intermediate process performed between an ignition process that ignites plasma of a processing gas using a high frequency wave and a processing process that processes a workpiece by the plasma; sequentially performing the ignition process, the intermediate process applied with each of the processing conditions, and the processing process; measuring, when the intermediated process is changed to the processing process, a power of a reflected wave of the high frequency wave during the processing process in association with each of the processing conditions; and selecting, among the plurality of processing conditions, a processing condition in which the power of the reflected wave of the high frequency wave is minimized.

Abstract: A method for etching a silicon film formed on a substrate includes supplying HBr gas, NF3 gas, and O2 gas into a chamber and performing a plurality of etching processes on the silicon film with a plasma generated by the supplied HBr gas, NF3 gas, and O2 gas, gradually reducing a flow rate of the HBr gas during the plurality of etching processes, and adjusting a flow rate of the O2 gas according to the reduction of the HBr gas.

Abstract: A structure including a hollow porous material with an architected fluid interface to the hollow porous material and methods of forming the same. The architected fluid interface may be in the form of a manifold with tapered openings, each providing a gradually narrowing transition to the hollow channels within which fluid may flow through the hollow porous material. The material may be formed by forming an open-celled sacrificial scaffold, immersing one surface of the open-celled sacrificial scaffold in a bonding agent, attaching a face sheet to the surface to form a sacrificial scaffold assembly, coating the assembly with a coating material, and removing the sacrificial scaffold assembly.

Abstract: A pattern formation method according to an embodiment includes providing a substrate in which protrusions each having a tapered shape are provided on a main surface. The method further includes supplying the main surface with spherical particles equal in diameter to make the spherical particles arrange in a triangular lattice form such that each of the protrusions is at least partially positioned within a region surrounded by the main surface and three of the spherical particles adjacent to one another.

Abstract: A method of forming an optical device includes forming a waveguide mask on a device precursor. The device precursor includes a waveguide positioned on a base. The method also includes forming a facet mask on the device precursor such that at least a portion of the waveguide mask is between the facet mask and the base. The method also includes removing a portion of the base while the facet mask protects a facet of the waveguide.

Abstract: Techniques herein provide a process to reform or flatten asymmetric spacers to form a square profile which creates symmetric spacers for accurate pattern transfer. Initial spacer formation typically results in spacer profiles with a curved or sloped top surfaces. This asymmetric top surface is isolated while protecting a remaining lower portion of the spacer. The top surface is removed using a plasma processing step resulting in spacers having a squared profile that enables further patterning and/or accurate pattern transfer.

Abstract: The embodiments disclose a method of fabricating a stack, including replacing a metal layer of a stack imprint structure with an oxide layer, patterning the oxide layer stack using chemical etch processes to transfer the pattern image and cleaning etch residue from the stack imprint structure to substantially prevent contamination of the metal layers.

Abstract: Methods and systems include supplying pulsed microwave radiation through a waveguide, where the microwave radiation propagates in a direction along the waveguide. A pressure within the waveguide is at least 0.1 atmosphere. A supply gas is provided at a first location along a length of the waveguide, a majority of the supply gas flowing in the direction of the microwave radiation propagation. A plasma is generated in the supply gas, and a process gas is added into the waveguide at a second location downstream from the first location. A majority of the process gas flows in the direction of the microwave propagation at a rate greater than 5 slm. An average energy of the plasma is controlled to convert the process gas into separated components, by controlling at least one of a pulsing frequency of the pulsed microwave radiation, and a duty cycle of the pulsed microwave radiation.

Abstract: The invention provides an aqueous solution capable of selectively protecting a nitrogen-containing silicon compound from corrosion by a treating solution for etching, cleaning or the like, etching oxygen-containing, carbon-containing silicon in particular, and making a large etch rate difference between a nitrogen-containing silicon compound and an oxygen-containing silicon compound, and a process for producing electronic parts as well. The invention is embodied by a treating solution for electronic parts that is an aqueous solution containing one or two or more of anionic surface active agents represented by the following formulae (1), (2) and (3), and a process for producing an electronic part. wherein R1, R2, and R3 stands for hydrogen or an alkyl or alkylene group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, and X1 stands for a functional group capable of becoming an anionic ion.

Abstract: A method is provided for treating the outer surfaces of a plurality of glass bubbles. That method includes loading a plurality of glass bubbles into a processing vessel having a roughened lining and displacing the processing vessel so that the plurality of glass bubbles move against the roughened lining to thereby roughen the outer surfaces. Alternatively, or in addition, the glass bubbles are subjected to air plasma treatment to increase the surface energy of the glass bubbles.

Abstract: A method of removing copper oxide from copper surfaces is disclosed that comprises application of vapor generated by an ultrasonic wave nebulizer. The energized vapor droplets include water and a weak organic acid such as acetic acid, lactic acid, citric acid, uric acid, oxalic acid, or formic acid that have a vapor pressure proximate to that of water. The weak organic acid preferably has a pKa high enough to avoid Cu etching but is sufficiently acidic to remove copper oxide at a rate that is compatible with high throughput manufacturing. In one embodiment, weak acid/water vapor is applied to a substrate in a spin bowl and is followed by a deionized water rinse step in the same spin bowl. Improved wettability results in improved uniformity in subsequently plated copper films. Considerable cost savings is realized as a result of reduced chemical consumption and higher product yields.

Abstract: The present invention provides a vitreous silica crucible which can suppress buckling and sidewall lowering of the crucible without fear of mixing of impurities into silicon melt. According to the present invention, provided is a vitreous silica crucible for pulling a silicon single crystal, wherein a ratio I2/I1 is 0.67 to 1.17, where I1 and I2 are area intensities of the peaks at 492 cm?1 and 606 cm?1, respectively, in Raman spectrum of vitreous silica of the region having a thickness of 2 mm from an outer surface to an inner surface of a wall of the crucible.

Abstract: A processing method and system are provided for processing a substrate with a plasma in the presence of an electro-negative gas. A processing gas is injected into a processing chamber. The gas includes a high electron affinity gas species. A surface is provided in the plasma chamber onto which the gas species has a tendency to chemisorb. The gas species is exposed to the surface, chemisorbed onto it, and the surface is exposed to energy that causes negative ions of the chemisorbed gas species, that interact in the plasma to release secondary electrons. A neutralizer grid may be provided to separate from the chamber a second chamber in which forms a low energy secondary plasma for processing the substrate that is dense in electrons and contains high energy neutrals of the gas species and high energy positive ions of processing gas. Pulsed energy may be used to excite plasma or bias the substrate. A hollow cathode source is also provided.

Abstract: The disclosure concerns a method of operating a plasma reactor having an electron beam plasma source for independently adjusting electron beam energy, plasma ion energy and radical population. The disclosure further concerns an electron beam source for a plasma reactor having an RF-driven electrode for producing the electron beam.

Abstract: A plasma etch resist material modified by an inorganic protective component via sequential infiltration synthesis (SIS) and methods of preparing the modified resist material. The modified resist material is characterized by an improved resistance to a plasma etching or related process relative to the unmodified resist material, thereby allowing formation of patterned features into a substrate material, which may be high-aspect ratio features. The SIS process forms the protective component within the bulk resist material through a plurality of alternating exposures to gas phase precursors which infiltrate the resist material. The plasma etch resist material may be initially patterned using photolithography, electron-beam lithography or a block copolymer self-assembly process.

Abstract: In an example of the method disclosed herein, SiOx (0<x<2) particles are combined with a lithium metal. The SiOx (0<x<2) particles and the lithium metal are caused to react to form lithium oxide nanoparticles in a silicon matrix. At least some of the lithium oxide nanoparticles are removed from the silicon matrix to form porous silicon particles.

Abstract: A method for forming a rough silicon wafer including the successive steps of: performing a plasma etching of a surface of the wafer in conditions suitable to obtain a rough structure, and performing two successive ion milling steps, one at an incidence in the range of 0 to 10°, the other at an incidence in the range of 40 to 60° relative to the normal to the wafer.