Abstract: Apparatus and methods are disclosed for sample preparation, suitable for online or offline use with multilayer samples. Ion beam technology is leveraged to provide rapid, accurate delayering with etch stops at a succession of target layers. In one aspect, a trench is milled around a region of interest (ROI), and a conductive coating is developed on an inner sidewall. Thereby, reliable conducting paths are formed between intermediate layers within the ROI and a base layer, and stray current paths extending outside the ROI are eliminated, providing better quality etch progress monitoring, during subsequent etching, from body or scattered currents. Ion beam assisted gas etching provides rapid delayering with etch stops at target polysilicon layers. Uniform etching at deep layers can be achieved. Variations and results are disclosed.

Abstract: Work piece carrier device to be installed in a vacuum chamber of a vacuum treatment system, comprising: one carousel X with a diameter dX, one or multiple carousels Ym with a diameter dYm<dX, which are mountable on carousel X one or multiple work piece supports Zn with diameters dZn?dYm, which are mountable on the one or multiple carousels Ym, two actuators A1 and A2.

Abstract: An etching apparatus includes a substrate holder configured to hold a substrate, a first ion source that generates first ions and irradiates the substrate with the first ions such that the first ions are incident on the substrate in the substrate holder at a first incident angle, and a second ion source that generates second ions and irradiates the substrate with the second ions such that the second ions are incident on the substrate at a second incident angle different from the first incident angle. A controller is provided that controls at least one of the first incident angle and the second incident angle by moving at least one of the first ion source and the second ion source.

Abstract: Provided is a niobium sputtering target having improved film thickness uniformity throughout the target life. In the niobium sputtering target, a rate of change in a {111} area ratio of each of an upper, central, and lower portions of the sputtering target, as represented by the following equation (2), is 2.

Abstract: A method for adjusting a contact position of lift pins in a substrate placement mechanism is provided. The substrate placement mechanism includes a substrate placement table and a substrate lifting mechanism having lift pins and a driving mechanism, wherein the contact position of the lift pins is a height position where tip ends of the lift pins get in contact with the substrate. The method comprises creating torque waveforms, for a plurality of voltages, indicating temporal changes of a torque of the motor while moving the tip ends of the lift; obtaining from the plurality of torque waveforms a contact point when the lift pins get in contact with the substrate and calculating the contact position from the contact point and a speed of the motor; determining whether the contact position is within an appropriate range; and automatically adjusting the contact position when the contact position is not within the appropriate range.

Abstract: Embodiments include a processing tool for processing substrates in a low processing pressure and a high processing pressure. In an embodiment, the processing tool comprises a chamber body and a pedestal in the chamber body. In an embodiment, the pedestal is displaceable, and the pedestal has a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface. In an embodiment, the processing tool further comprises a first gas port for supplying gasses into the chamber body and a first exhaust positioned above the first surface of the pedestal. In an embodiment, the embodiment further comprises a second gas port for supplying gasses into the chamber body and a second exhaust positioned below the second surface of the pedestal.

Abstract: A system includes a transparent crystal, at least part of which is embedded within a wall and a liner of a processing chamber. The transparent crystal has a proximal end and a distal end, the distal end having a distal surface exposed to an interior of the processing chamber. A transparent thin film is deposited on the distal surface and has chemical properties substantially matching those of the liner. A light coupling device is to: transmit light, from a light source, through the proximal end of the transparent crystal, and focus, into a spectrometer, light received reflected back from a combination of the distal surface, a surface of the transparent thin film, and a surface of a process film layer deposited on the transparent thin film. The spectrometer is to detect a first spectrum within the focused light that is representative of the process film layer.

Abstract: An aluminum or copper alloy sputtering chamber includes a front surface, a back surface opposite the front surface, and a sputter trap formed on at least a portion of the front surface A coating of titanium particles is formed on the sputter trap.

Abstract: A method for patterning structures including providing a layer stack having a plurality of device layers and a hardmask layer disposed in a stacked arrangement, the layer stack having a plurality of trenches formed therein, the trenches extending through the hardmask layer and into at least one of the device layers, the trenches having lateral sidewalls with a first slope relative to a plane perpendicular to upper surfaces of the device layers, and performing a sputter etching process wherein ion beams are directed toward the hardmask layer to etch the hardmask layer and cause etched material from the hardmask layer to be redistributed along the lateral sidewalls of the trenches to provide the lateral sidewalls with a second slope relative to the plane perpendicular to the upper surfaces of the device layers, the second slope less than the first slope.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a transparent conductive oxide thin film, the method comprising the following steps: fabricating Ba1-xLaxSnO3 using a solid-phase reaction method to obtain a BLSO magnetron sputtering target material; and fabricating a BLSO thin film by means of direct deposition with argon as a sputtering gas by using a SrTiO3, MgO, LaAlO3, (La,Sr)(Al,Ta)O3(LSAT), MgAl2O4 or Al2O3 single crystal substrate and the BLSO magnetron sputtering target material, such that the transparent conductive oxide thin film is fabricate is provided. During sputtering, the temperature of the substrate is 750° C.-950° C., and the deposition pressure of the Ar gas is 25-77 Pa. The room-temperature mobility of the transparent conductive oxide thin film can reach 115 cm2/V·s, the room-temperature carrier concentration can reach 1.2×1021 cm?3, and the room-temperature conductivity can reach 14,000 S/cm.

Abstract: The invention provides a deposition equipment with a shielding mechanism, which includes a reaction chamber, a carrier, a cover ring and a shielding mechanism. The shielding mechanism includes a first bearing arm, a second bearing arm, a first shielding plate and a second shielding plate. The first and second shielding plates are respectively placed on the first and second bearing arms. There are corresponding alignment units between the lower surface of the first and second shielding plates and the upper surface the carrier, so that the first and second shielding plates can be aligned with the carrier. There is also a corresponding alignment unit between the upper surface of the first and second shielding plates and the lower surface the cover ring, so that the cover ring can be aligned with the first and second shielding plates to define a cleaning space in the reaction chamber.

Abstract: A sputtering apparatus includes a back plate supporting a sputtering target, a magnet module disposed under the back plate and including a magnet unit reciprocating in a first direction, a first shielding member attached on a portion of the magnet unit, moving together with the magnet unit, and covering at least a portion of the magnet unit, a protective sheet disposed between the back plate and the magnet module, and a second shielding member disposed between the back plate and the magnet module, and having a fixed position.

Abstract: A thin-film-deposition equipment with shielding device, which includes a reaction chamber, a carrier, a shielding device and two optical sensors. The carrier and a portion of the shielding device are disposed within the reaction chamber. The shielding device includes two shield members, and at least one driver interconnecting to drive the two shield members to sway in opposite directions and switch between an open state and a shielding state. Each of the two shield members is disposed with a shield protrusion and a sensing region adjacent to each other. The shield protrusion is for shielding the sensing region from contaminants, thereby the optical sensors can accurately detect locations of the shield members.

Abstract: Methods for forming a nickel silicide material on a substrate are disclosed. The methods include depositing a first nickel silicide seed layer atop a substrate at a temperature of about 15° C. to about 27° C., annealing the first nickel silicide seed layer at a temperature of 400° C. or less such as over 350° C.; and depositing a second nickel silicide layer atop the first nickel silicide seed layer at a temperature of about 15° C. to about 27° C. to form the nickel silicide material.

Abstract: This invention relates to a coating comprising at least one AlTiN-based film deposited by means of a PVD process, wherein the at least one AlTiN-based film deposited is comprising an Al-content—in relation to the Ti-content—in atomic percentage higher than 75%, and wherein the AlTiN-based film exhibits solely a crystallographic cubic phase and internal compressive stresses and this invention relates to a method involving deposition of an AlTiN-based film.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a thin-film-deposition equipment with shielding device, which includes a reaction chamber, a carrier and a shielding device, wherein a portion of the shielding device and the carrier are disposed within the reaction chamber. The shielding device includes a first-shield member, a second-shield member and a driver. The driver interconnects the first-shield member and the second-shield member, for driving the first-shield member and the second-shield member to move in opposite directions. During a deposition process, the driver swings the shield members away from each other into an open state. During a cleaning process, the driver swings the shield members toward each other into a shielding state for covering the carrier, such that to prevent polluting the carrier during the process of cleaning the thin-film-deposition equipment.

Abstract: A physical vapor deposition (PVD) system is disclosed. The PVD system includes a pedestal configured to hold a semiconductor wafer, a cover plate configured to hold a target, and a collimator between the pedestal and the cover plate. The collimator includes a plurality of passages configured to pass source material travelling from the cover plate toward the pedestal at an angle less than a threshold angle with respect to a line perpendicular to a surface of the pedestal facing the cover plate, where the collimator is configured to block source material travelling from the cover plate toward the pedestal at an angle greater than the threshold angle, where a first passage of the plurality of passages has a first passage length, where a second passage of the plurality of passages has a second passage length, and where the first passage length is less than the second passage length.

Abstract: A semiconductor process system includes a process chamber. The process chamber includes a wafer support configured to support a wafer. The system includes a bell jar configured to be positioned over the wafer during a semiconductor process. The interior surface of the bell jar is coated with a rough coating. The rough coating can include zirconium.

Abstract: A process kit comprises a shield and ring assembly for positioning about a substrate support in a processing chamber to reduce deposition of process deposits on internal chamber components and an overhang edge of the substrate. The shield comprises a cylindrical band having a top wall configured to surround a sputtering target and a sloped portion of a bottom wall having a substantially straight profile with gas conductance holes configured to surround the substrate support. The ring assembly comprises a cover ring having a bulb-shaped protuberance about the periphery of the ring. The bulb-shaped protuberance of the cover ring is able to block a line-of-sight between the gas conductance holes on the shield and an entrance to a chamber body cavity in the processing chamber.

Abstract: A cathode arc source comprises: a cathode target; a first magnetic field source located above the target; a second magnetic field source located below the target; and a third magnetic field source located between the first and second magnetic field sources and having an opposite polarity to the first magnetic field source; wherein the resultant magnetic field from the first, second and third magnetic field sources has zero field strength in a direction substantially normal to the target at a position above the target. The invention also provides methods of striking a cathode target and methods of depositing coatings which can be carried out using the cathode arc source described herein.