Abstract: A method of fabricating a printhead having a hydrophobic ink ejection face, the method comprising the steps of: (a) providing a partially-fabricated printhead comprising a plurality of nozzle chambers and a nozzle plate having relatively hydrophilic nozzle surface, the nozzle surface at least partially defining the ink ejection face of the printhead; (b) depositing a hydrophobic polymeric layer onto the nozzle surface; (c) depositing a protective metal film onto at least the polymeric layer; (d) depositing a sacrificial material onto the polymeric layer; (e) patterning the sacrificial material to define a plurality of nozzle opening regions; (f) defining a plurality of nozzle openings through the metal film, the polymeric layer and the nozzle plate; (g) subjecting the printhead to an oxidizing plasma; and (h) removing the protective metal film, thereby providing a printhead having a relatively hydrophobic ink ejection face.

Abstract: A method of generating a mask for printing a pattern including a plurality of features. The method includes the steps of depositing a layer of transmissive material having a predefined percentage transmission on a substrate; depositing a layer of opaque material on the transmissive material; etching a portion of the substrate, the substrate being etched to a depth based on an etching selectivity between the transmissive layer and the substrate; exposing a portion of the transmissive layer by etching the opaque material; etching the exposed portion of the transmissive layer so as to expose an upper surface of the substrate; where the exposed portions of the substrate and the etched portions of the substrate exhibit a predefined phase shift relative to one another with respect to an illumination signal.

Abstract: The polishing method uses a polishing solution for removing barrier materials in the presence of interconnect metals and dielectrics. The polishing solution comprises, by weight percent, 0.1 to 10 hydrogen peroxide, at least one pH adjusting agent selected from the group consisting of nitric acid, sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid and phosphoric acid for adjusting a pH level of the polishing solution to less than 3, at least 0.0025 benzotriazole inhibitor for reducing removal rate of the interconnect metals, 0 to 10 surfactant, 0.01 to 10 colloidal silica having an average particle size of less than 50 nm and balance water and incidental impurities. The polishing solution has a tantalum nitride material to copper selectivity of at least 3 to 1 and a tantalum nitride to TEOS selectivity of at least 3 to 1.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a semiconductor device includes forming a plurality of etch mask patterns over an etch target layer, each of the etch mask patterns including a first hard mask, a first pad layer, and a second pad layer, forming spacers on both sidewalls of the etch mask patterns, the spacers including a material substantially the same as that of the first pad layer, forming a second hard mask over the resulting substrate structure until gaps between the etch mask patterns are filled, the second hard mask including a material different from that of the first hard mask but substantially the same as that of the second pad layer, planarizing the second hard mask until the first pad layer is exposed, removing the first pad layer and the spacers, and etching the etch target layer using the remaining first and second hard masks as an etch barrier layer.

Abstract: An object of this invention is to provide a manufacturing method that, by using a general-purpose semiconductor fabrication process, can easily manufacture an ink jet print head in which energy generating elements are complicatedly installed in the ink path. To this end, the present invention comprising steps of providing a substrate having a removal projected portion, forming an energy generating element along the projected portion, forming a supporting member on the energy generating element, and forming a ink chamber by removing the projected portion from the substrate.

Abstract: Methods for resputtering and plasma etching include an operation of generating an ultra-high density plasma using an ultra-high magnetic field. For example, a plasma density of at least about 1013 electrons/cm3 is achieved by confining a plasma using a magnetic field of at least about 1 Tesla. The ultra-high density plasma is used to create a high flux of low energy ions at the wafer surface. The formed high density low energy plasma can be used to sputter etch a diffusion barrier or a seed layer material in the presence of an exposed low-k dielectric layer. For example, a diffusion barrier material can be etched with a high etch rate to deposition rate (E/D) ratio (e.g., with E/D>2) without substantially damaging an exposed dielectric layer. Resputtering and plasma etching can be performed, for example, in iPVD and in plasma pre-clean tools, equipped with magnets configured for confining a plasma.