Abstract: Surface treatment processes for treating a workpiece with organic radicals are provided. In one example implementation, a method for processing a workpiece having a semiconductor material and a carbon containing layer (e.g., photoresist) can include a surface treatment process on the workpiece. The surface treatment process can include generating one or more species in a first chamber (e.g., a plasma chamber). The surface treatment process can include mixing one or more hydrocarbon radicals with the species to create a mixture. The surface treatment process can include exposing the carbon containing layer to the mixture in a second chamber (e.g., a processing chamber).

Abstract: A method, and corresponding apparatus, of fabricating a structure by chemical wet etching starting from a material rod of millimetric or sub-millemetric size, the method comprising: dipping an end portion (170) of the material rod (128,129) into a vessel (105) containing an etchant liquid (110) and a protective overlayer (175) floating on top of the etchant liquid, imparting a relative rotational movement of the etchant liquid with respect to the end portion (170) of the material rod immersed therein, wherein said imparting a relative rotational movement comprises imparting to the etchant liquid a rotational movement component with respect to a static reference system.

Abstract: Methods and systems for using a time-series of spectra to identify endpoint of an etch process. One method includes accessing a virtual carpet that is formed from a time-series of spectra for the etch process collected during a training operation. And, running a fabrication etch process on a fabrication wafer, such that while the fabrication etch process is performed portions of a carpet defined from a time-series of spectral is generated for the fabrication etch process. Then, comparing the portions of the carpet of the fabrication etch process to the virtual carpet. End pointing is processed for the fabrication etch process when said comparing indicates that a desired metric has been reached for the fabrication wafer. In one example, said portions of the carpet include a current frame of captured spectra and at least one previous frame of captured spectra.

Abstract: A method for performing atomic layer etching (ALE) on a substrate, including the following method operations: performing a surface modification operation on a surface of the substrate, the surface modification operation configured to convert at least one monolayer of the substrate surface to a modified layer; performing a removal operation on the substrate surface, the removal operation configured to remove the modified layer from the substrate surface, wherein removing the modified layer occurs via a ligand exchange reaction that is configured to volatilize the modified layer; performing, following the removal operation, a plasma treatment on the substrate surface, the plasma treatment configured to remove residues generated by the removal operation from the substrate surface, wherein the residues are volatilized by the plasma treatment; repeating the foregoing operations until a predefined thickness has been etched from the substrate surface.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for methods and apparatuses for delivering process gas for processing a substrate. In one embodiment, the method begins by injecting process gas into a processing chamber proximate an edge of a substrate disposed in the processing chamber from a first location. The method then continues by way of injecting the process gas into the processing chamber proximate the edge of the substrate disposed in the processing chamber from a second location while no gas is injected from the first location. Finally, the method finishes by way of processing the substrate in the presence of the processing gas injected from the first and second location.

Abstract: Methods of etching include cycles of low temperature etching of a material layer disposed on a substrate, with at least one of the cycles being followed by activation of unreacted etchant deposits during an inert gas plasma treatment. In some embodiments, a method includes: positioning a substrate in a processing chamber; generating, in a first etching cycle, a plasma from a gas mixture within the processing chamber to form a processing gas including an etchant; exposing, to the etchant, a portion of a material layer disposed on a substrate maintained at a first temperature; generating an inert gas plasma within the processing chamber; generating, in a second etching cycle, a plasma from a gas mixture within the processing chamber to form a processing gas including an etchant; and heating the substrate to a second temperature to sublimate a byproduct of reaction between the etchant and the material layer.

Abstract: A method for producing an antireflection layer on a silicone surface is described. The method includes application of an organic layer, production of a nanostructure in the organic layer by a plasma etching process, and application of at least one cover layer onto the nanostructure. An optical element can be produced by the method.

Abstract: A substrate is positioned on a substrate support structure within a plasma processing volume of an inductively coupled plasma processing chamber. A first radiofrequency signal is supplied from a first radiofrequency signal generator to a coil disposed outside of the plasma processing volume to generate a plasma in exposure to the substrate. A second radiofrequency signal is supplied from a second radiofrequency signal generator to an electrode within the substrate support structure. The first and second radiofrequency signal generators are controlled independent of each other. The second radiofrequency signal has a frequency greater than or equal to about 27 megaHertz. The second radiofrequency signal generates supplemental plasma density at a level of the substrate within the plasma processing volume while generating a bias voltage of less than about 200 volts at the level of the substrate.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to methods for a multi-step plasma process to remove metal hard mask layer from an underlying hard mask layer that may be used to implement a sub-lithographic integration scheme. The sub-lithographic integration scheme may include iteratively patterning several features into the metal hard mask layer that may be transferred to the hard mask layer. However, the iterative process may leave remnants of previous films on top of the metal hard mask that may act as mini-masks that may interfere with the pattern transfer to the hard mask layer. One approach to remove the mini-masks may be to use a two-step plasma process that removes the mini-mask using a first gas mixture ratio of a carbon-containing gas and a chlorine-containing gas. The remaining metal hard mask layer may be removed using a second gas mixture ratio of the carbon-containing gas and the chlorine-containing gas.

Abstract: Methods of reversing the tone of a pattern having non-uniformly sized features. The methods include depositing a highly conformal hard mask layer over the patterned layer with a non-planar protective coating and etch schemes for minimizing critical dimension variations.

Abstract: A waveguide fabrication method including the steps of providing a substrate including at least one waveguide recess structure and a stress release recess structure for receiving a waveguide material, and depositing the waveguide material onto the substrate and into both the waveguide recess structure and the stress release recess structure.

Abstract: A method for fabrication of diffractive optics by batch processing is disclosed, having applicability to high resolution ultra-high aspect ratio Fresnel Zone Plates for focusing of X-rays or gamma-rays having energies up to hundreds of keV. An array of precursor forms is etched into a planar substrate. Sidewalls of the forms are smoothed to a required surface roughness. A sequence of alternating layers of different complex refractive index, for binary or higher order diffractive optics, are deposited on the precursor forms by atomic layer deposition (ALD), to provide diffractive line patterns. Thinnest layers may have nanometer thicknesses. After front surface planarization and thinning of the substrate to expose first and second surfaces of the diffractive line patterns of the diffractive optic, the height h in the propagation direction provides a designed absorption difference and/or phase shift difference between adjacent diffractive lines.

Abstract: Embodiments described herein generally provide a method for filling features formed on a substrate. In one embodiment, a method for selectively forming a silicon oxide layer on a substrate is provided. The method includes selectively depositing a silicon oxide layer within a patterned feature formed on a surface of a substrate, wherein the patterned feature comprises one or more sidewalls and a deposition surface at a bottom of the patterned feature, the one or more sidewalls comprise a silicon oxide, a silicon nitride, or a combination thereof, the deposition surface essentially consists of silicon, and the selectively deposited silicon oxide layer is formed on the deposition surface by flowing tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) and ozone over the patterned feature.

Abstract: There is provided a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, including: providing a substrate with an oxide film formed on a surface thereof; pre-processing a surface of the oxide film; and forming a nitride film containing carbon on the surface of the oxide film which has been pre-processed, by performing a cycle a predetermined number of times, the cycle including non-simultaneously performing: supplying a precursor gas to the substrate; supplying a carbon-containing gas to the substrate; and supplying a nitrogen-containing gas to the substrate, or by performing a cycle a predetermined number of times, the cycle including non-simultaneously performing: supplying a precursor gas to the substrate; and supplying a gas containing carbon and nitrogen to the substrate, or by performing a cycle a predetermined number of times, the cycle including non-simultaneously performing: supplying a precursor gas containing carbon to the substrate; and supplying a nitrogen-containing gas to the substrate.

Abstract: Methods of forming non-mandrel cuts. A dielectric layer is formed on a metal hardmask layer, and a patterned sacrificial layer is formed on the dielectric layer. The dielectric layer is etched to form a non-mandrel cut in the dielectric layer that is vertically aligned with the opening in the patterned sacrificial layer. A metal layer is formed on an area of the metal hardmask layer exposed by the non-mandrel cut in the dielectric layer. The metal hardmask layer is patterned with the metal layer masking the metal hardmask layer over the area.

Abstract: A plasma etching method for plasma-etching an object including an etching target film and a patterned mask. The plasma etching method includes a first step of plasma-etching the etching target film using the mask, and a second step of depositing a silicon-containing film using plasma of a silicon-containing gas on at least a part of a side wall of the etching target film etched by the first step.

Abstract: A manufacturing method of a display panel disclosed by the invention includes: providing a substrate, the substrate having a first metal layer disposed thereon, the substrate including a first display region and a first peripheral region, the first metal layer covering the first display region and the first peripheral region; laying a photoresist layer on the first metal layer to form a first half-finished plate; exposing and developing the first half-finished plate to form a second half-finished plate with first and second preset patterns; etching and stripping the second half-finished plate to form a first preset metal wire group on the first display region and form a second preset metal wire group on the first peripheral region. The invention can significantly reduce the occurrence of electrostatic discharge phenomenon during the manufacturing process of a display panel and thus the yield of the display panel can be greatly improved.

Abstract: There is provided a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, including: providing a substrate with an oxide film formed on a surface thereof; pre-processing a surface of the oxide film; and forming a nitride film containing carbon on the surface of the oxide film which has been pre-processed, by performing a cycle a predetermined number of times, the cycle including non-simultaneously performing: supplying a precursor gas to the substrate; supplying a carbon-containing gas to the substrate; and supplying a nitrogen-containing gas to the substrate, or by performing a cycle a predetermined number of times, the cycle including non-simultaneously performing: supplying a precursor gas to the substrate; and supplying a gas containing carbon and nitrogen to the substrate, or by performing a cycle a predetermined number of times, the cycle including non-simultaneously performing: supplying a precursor gas containing carbon to the substrate; and supplying a nitrogen-containing gas to the substrate.

Abstract: Disclosed are sulfur-containing compounds for plasma etching channel holes, gate trenches, staircase contacts, capacitor holes, contact holes, etc., in Si-containing layers on a substrate and plasma etching methods of using the same. The plasma etching compounds may provide improved selectivity between the Si-containing layers and mask material, less damage to channel region, a straight vertical profile, and reduced bowing in pattern high aspect ratio structures.

Abstract: A photosensitive transfer material including a support and a photosensitive resin composition layer, in which the photosensitive resin composition layer includes a polymer component (A) including a polymer having a constituent unit (a1) that includes a group in which an acid group is protected by an acid-decomposable group and a photoacid generator (B), and the photosensitive resin composition layer does not have an ethylenic crosslinking structure is a positive-type material, is excellent in terms of heat-resistant rectangular properties, etchant resistance, and resist peeling properties, and generates only a small amount of dust during processes; a pattern formation method, and an etching method.