Abstract: Disclosed is a dry etching method for etching a laminated film of silicon oxide layers and silicon nitride layers on a substrate. The dry etching method includes providing a mask on the laminated film, generating a plasma from a dry etching agent and etching the laminated film by the plasma through the mask under a bias voltage of 500 V or higher to form a through hole in the laminated film vertically to the layers, wherein the dry etching agent contains at least C3H2F4, an unsaturated perfluorocarbon represented by CxFy and an oxidizing gas, and wherein a volume of the unsaturated perfluorocarbon contained in the dry etching agent is 0.1 to 10 times a volume of the C3H2F4 contained in the dry etching agent.

Abstract: Techniques herein include a method of forming etch masks to form contact holes and other features. Techniques herein use a reversal method to create contact hole patterns with improved critical dimension uniformity and contact edge roughness as compared to traditional direct print photolithography methods. A pillar is printed as an initial structure. The initial structure is reshaped to change smoothness, uniformity, and/or dimensions. A conformal film is deposited on the pillar. The conformal film can include a metal-containing material. A planarization process is executed that removes pillars down to the working surface of the substrate leaving the conformal film on the working surface of the substrate. This conformal film can then be used as an etch mask for additional pattern transfer.

Abstract: A plasma etching method includes a first process of generating a first plasma from a first processing gas that contains fluorine-containing gas and hydrogen-containing gas, by using a first radio frequency power, to etch a laminated film including a first silicon-containing film layer and a second silicon-containing film layer that is different from the first silicon-containing film layer, with the generated first plasma; and a second process that is performed after the first process and includes generating a second plasma from a second processing gas that contains bromine-containing gas, by using a second radio frequency power, to etch the laminated film with the generated second plasma. Unevenness is formed at an interface between the first silicon-containing film layer and the second silicon-containing film layer in the first process, and the unevenness is removed in the second process.

Abstract: Provided is a polishing composition for a silicon oxide film that can improve the speed of polishing a silicon oxide film. In one or more embodiments, a polishing composition for a silicon oxide film contains: water; a cerium oxide particle; and a compound having in its molecule an amino group and at least one acid group selected from a sulfonic acid group and a phosphonic acid group. In the polishing composition, [the number of moles of the acid group contained in the compound]/[total surface area of the cerium oxide particle] is in a range from 1.6×10?5 mol/m2 to 5.0×10?2 mol/m2.

Abstract: Provided is a method for forming a thin film. The method for forming the thin film includes forming a first thin film having a first thickness with first crystallinity through an atomic layer deposition process and etching the first thin film by a predetermined thickness through an atomic layer etching process with respect to the first thin film to form a second thin film having a second thickness less than the first thickness.

Abstract: There is provided a method for implementing and regulating patterning of a graphene film by ultraviolet photo-oxidation, including: implementing patterning of a graphene film micron structure pattern by using a xenon lamp excimer ultraviolet photo-oxidation vacuum apparatus and a hard mask; 2: controlling oxygen excitons, by applying a non-uniform magnetic field on the surface of the graphene film in a vertical direction, to move toward the graphene film in a direction of a magnetic field, so as to enhance the directivity of etching to the graphene film in the vertical direction, thereby improving patterning quality of the graphene film with micron-structure; and (3) by adjusting the intensity and direction of the magnetic field moving direction of the oxygen excitons is controlled, and the shape of the etched pattern structure of the graphene film is controlled, and thus controlling the patterning of the graphene film may be achieved.

Abstract: The controller is programmed to cause a low-surface-tension liquid supply unit to supply a liquid film of a low-surface-tension liquid to a front surface of a substrate so as to form a liquid film of the low-surface-tension liquid. The controller is programmed to control the substrate rotating unit and the inert gas supply unit so that an inert gas is supplied toward the rotational center position while rotating the substrate, thereby forming an opening spreading from the rotational center position to be formed in the liquid film, and enlarging the opening in a direction away from the rotational center position, and to control the landing-position changing unit to change the landing position of the low-surface-tension liquid to at least two positions except the rotational center position in accordance with enlargement of the opening so that the landing position is placed outside the peripheral edge of the opening.

Abstract: A substrate liquid processing apparatus includes a liquid processing unit, a processing liquid circulating line, and a boiling state detecting unit provided in a processing bath of the liquid processing unit. The controller controls a supply pump of the processing liquid circulating line based on a signal from the boiling state detecting unit, and adjusts a pressure of a supplied phosphoric acid aqueous solution in a flow path so as to adjust the boiling state of the phosphoric acid aqueous solution to a desired state.

Abstract: Systems and methods for adjusting power and frequency based on three or more states are described. One of the methods includes receiving a pulsed signal having multiple states. The pulsed signal is received by multiple radio frequency (RF) generators. When the pulsed signal having a first state is received, an RF signal having a pre-set power level is generated by a first RF generator and an RF signal having a pre-set power level is generated by a second RF generator. Moreover, when the pulsed signal having a second state is received, RF signals having pre-set power levels are generated by the first and second RF generators. Furthermore, when the pulsed signal having a third state is received, RF signals having pre-set power levels are generated by the first and second RF generators.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a device includes: providing a semiconductor substrate having an RF-device; providing a BEOL-layer stack on the first main surface of the semiconductor substrate; attaching a carrier structure to a first main surface of the BEOL-layer stack; removing a lateral portion of the semiconductor substrate which laterally adjoins the device region to expose a lateral portion of the second main surface of the BEOL-layer stack; and opening a contacting region of the BEOL-layer stack at the lateral portion of second main surface of the BEOL-layer stack.

Abstract: A low reflectivity coating (20) is formed of a layer of carbon nanostructures (20) over a contact surface (14) of a substrate (10), from a spray incorporating the carbon nanostructures in suspension in a solvent. The carbon nanostructure layer provides a very low reflectivity coating which may be further enhanced by etching the outer surface of the coating. The layer may be etched for reduced reflectivity. Very low reflectivity coatings have been achieved.

Abstract: A method for etching silicon-containing films is disclosed. The method includes the steps of introducing a vapor of an iodine-containing etching compound into a reaction chamber containing a silicon-containing film on a substrate, wherein the iodine-containing etching compound has the formula CaHxFyIz, wherein a=1-3, x=0-6, y=1-7, z=1-2, x+y+z=4 when a=1, x+y+z=4 or 6 when a=2, and x+y+z=6 or 8 when a=3; introducing an inert gas into the reaction chamber; and activating a plasma to produce an activated iodine-containing etching compound capable of etching the silicon-containing film from the substrate.

Abstract: An etching process method is provided that includes outputting a first high frequency power of a first frequency from a first high frequency power supply, and outputting a second high frequency power of a second frequency, which is lower than the first high frequency, from a second high frequency power supply in an cryogenic temperature environment where a substrate temperature is controlled to be less than or equal to ?35° C.; generating a plasma by adding a hydrocarbon gas containing at least 3 carbon atoms to an etching gas containing carbon, hydrogen, and fluorine; and etching a silicon oxide film or a laminated film made up of laminated layers of silicon-containing films having different compositions using the generated plasma.

Abstract: There is provided a method of fabricating a semiconductor device by performing a process on a substrate, which includes: forming a masking film made of a polymer having a urea bond by supplying polymerizing raw materials to a surface of the substrate on which an etching target film formed; forming an etching pattern on the masking film; subsequently, etching the etching target film with a processing gas using the etching pattern; and subsequently, removing the masking film by heating the substrate to depolymerize the polymer.

Abstract: A process for etching a film layer on a semiconductor wafer is disclosed. The process is particularly well suited to etching carbon containing layers, such as hardmask layers, photoresist layers, and other low dielectric films. In accordance with the present disclosure, a reactive species generated from a plasma is contacted with a surface of the film layer. Simultaneously, the substrate or semiconductor wafer is subjected to rapid thermal heating cycles that increase the temperature past the activation temperature of the reaction in a controlled manner.

Abstract: A method and system for the dry removal of a material on a microelectronic workpiece are described. The method includes receiving a workpiece having a surface exposing a target layer to be at least partially removed, placing the workpiece on a workpiece holder in a dry, non-plasma etch chamber, and selectively removing at least a portion of the target layer from the workpiece. The selective removal includes operating the dry, non-plasma etch chamber to perform the following: exposing the surface of the workpiece to a chemical environment at a first setpoint temperature in the range of 35 degrees C. to 100 degrees C. to chemically alter a surface region of the target layer, and then, elevating the temperature of the workpiece to a second setpoint temperature at or above 100 degrees C. to remove the chemically treated surface region of the target layer.

Abstract: Provided is a method of removing a silicon oxide film of a workpiece having an insulating film and the silicon oxide film exposed at a bottom portion of an opening formed in the insulating film, including: forming a protective film containing carbon on a surface of the workpiece, wherein the protective film has a first region extending along a side wall surface of the insulating film that defines the opening and a second region extending on the silicon oxide film: removing the second region of the protective film and the silicon oxide film by sputter etching with ions from plasma of a first inert gas; and removing a residue of the silicon oxide film by chemical etching. The step of forming the protective film includes executing a plurality of cycles.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an etching solution composition for a tungsten layer including N-methylmorpholine N-oxide and water, which is effective in selectively etching only a tungsten-based metal without etching a titanium nitride-based metal or a titanium aluminum carbide layer.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the adhesional pretreatment of plastics surface prior to their metallization by chemical or electrochemical methods and may be used in those industrial fields where decorative or functional metallic coatings on top of the plastic surfaces are needed. The purpose of the proposed invention is a high-quality adhesional pretreatment of plastic surface prior to metallization. The purpose is achieved by treating the plastic before to etch it 5-15 min at 50-70° C. in the alcaline permanganic solution containing 1-3M NaOH and 0.1-0.5 M permanganate ions and acidic permanganic etching solution additionally contains 0.5-8.0 M of copper nitrate and the etching is performed at room temperature during 5-60 min.

Abstract: The present disclosure describes an exemplary etch process in a reactor that includes a shower head and an electrostatic chuck configured to receive a radio frequency (RF) power. The shower head includes a top plate and a bottom plate with one or more gas channels that receive incoming gases. The method can include (i) rotating the top plate or the bottom plate of the shower head to a first position to allow a gas to flow through the shower head; (ii) performing a surface modification cycle that includes: applying a negative direct current (DC) bias voltage to the shower head, applying an RF power signal to the wafer chuck; and (iii) performing an etching cycle that includes: removing the negative DC bias voltage from the shower head and lowering the RF power signal applied to the wafer chuck.