Abstract: A method is provided for oxide removal from a substrate. The method includes providing the substrate in a process chamber where the substrate has an oxide layer formed thereon, and performing a sequential oxide removal process. The sequential oxide removal process includes exposing the substrate at a first substrate temperature to a flow of a first etching gas containing F2 to partially remove the oxide layer from the substrate, raising the temperature of the substrate from the first substrate temperature to a second substrate temperature, and exposing the substrate at the second temperature to a flow of a second etching gas containing H2 to further remove the oxide layer from the substrate. In one embodiment, a film may be formed on the substrate following the sequential oxide removal process.

Abstract: A method is provided for selectively forming a Si-containing film on a substrate in an interrupted deposition process. The method includes providing a substrate containing a growth surface and a non-growth surface, and selectively forming the Si-containing film on the growth surface by exposing the substrate to HX gas while simultaneously exposing the substrate to a pulse of chlorinated silane gas. The Si-containing film can be a Si film or a SiGe film that is selectively formed on a Si or SiGe growth surface but not on an oxide, nitride, or oxynitride non-growth surface.

Abstract: A method for selectively forming an epitaxial Si containing film on a semiconductor structure at low temperature. The method includes providing the structure in a process chamber, the structure containing a Si substrate having an epitaxial Si surface area and a patterned film area thereon. A Si film is non-selectively deposited onto the structure, the Si film comprising an epitaxial Si film deposited onto the epitaxial Si surface and a non-epitaxial Si film deposited onto an exposed surface of the patterned film. The non-epitaxial Si film is selectively dry etched away to form a patterned epitaxial Si film. The Si film may be a SiGe film.

Abstract: A method is provided for forming a Si film in sequential deposition process. The method includes providing a substrate in a process chamber, forming a chlorinated Si film by exposing the substrate to a chlorinated silane gas, and dry etching the chlorinated Si film to reduce the chlorine content of the Si film. The Si film may be deposited selectively or non-selectively on the substrate and the deposition may be self-limiting or non-self-limiting. Other embodiments provide a method for forming SiGe films in a sequential deposition process.

Abstract: A method and system for processing a substrate includes providing the substrate in a process chamber, the substrate having an oxide layer formed thereon, and exposing the substrate to an etching gas containing F2 gas at a first temperature to remove the oxide layer from the substrate. The substrate may subsequently be heated to a second temperature greater than the first temperature, and a film may then be formed on the substrate at the second temperature. In one embodiment, a Si film is epitaxially formed on a Si substrate.

Abstract: A method and system for processing a substrate includes providing the substrate in a process chamber, where the substrate contains an oxide layer formed thereon, exciting a hydrogen-containing gas in a remote plasma source coupled to the process chamber, and exposing the substrate to a flow of the excited hydrogen-containing gas at a first substrate temperature lower than about 900° C. to remove the oxide layer from the substrate. The substrate is then maintained at a second temperature different than the first substrate temperature, and a silicon-containing film is formed on the substrate at the second substrate temperature.

Abstract: A method is provided for depositing a silicon-containing film in a micro-feature on a substrate by a low pressure deposition process in a processing system. A silicon-containing film can be formed in a micro-feature by providing a substrate in a process chamber of a processing system, and exposing a hexachlorodisilane (HCD) process gas to the substrate. A processing tool containing a processing system for forming a silicon-containing film in a micro-feature using a silicon and chlorine-containing gas such as a HCD process gas is provided. Alternatively, the micro-feature can be exposed to DCS, SiCl4, and SiHCl3 gases. Alternatively, the micro-feature can be exposed to (SiH4+HCl).

Abstract: A SiGe thin layer semiconductor structure containing a substrate having a dielectric layer, a variable composition SixGe1-x layer on dielectric layer, and a Si cap layer on the variable composition SixGe1-x layer. The variable composition SixGe1-x layer can contain a SixGe1-x layer with a graded Ge content or a plurality of SixGe1-x sub-layers each with different Ge content. In one embodiment of the invention, the SiGe thin layer semiconductor structure contains a semiconductor substrate having a dielectric layer, a Si-containing seed layer on the dielectric layer, a variable composition SixGe1-x layer on the seed layer, and a Si cap layer on the variable composition SixGe1-x layer. A method and processing tool for fabricating the SiGe thin layer semiconductor structure are also provided.

Abstract: A method for using a silicon germanium (SiGe) surface layer to integrate a high-k dielectric layer into a semiconductor device. The method forms a SiGe surface layer on a substrate and deposits a high-k dielectric layer on the SiGe surface layer. An oxide layer, located between the high-k dielectric layer and an unreacted portion of the SiGe surface layer, is formed during one or both of deposition of the high-k dielectric layer and an annealing process after deposition of the high-k dielectric layer. The method further includes forming an electrode layer on the high-k dielectric layer.

Abstract: A method is provided for depositing a silicon-containing film on a substrate by a low pressure deposition process in a processing system. A silicon-containing film can be formed on a substrate by providing a substrate in a process chamber of a processing system, heating the substrate, and exposing a hexachlorodisilane (HCD) process gas to the substrate. The method can selectively deposit an epitaxial silicon-containing film on a silicon surface of a substrate or, alternately, non-selectively deposit a silicon-containing film on a substrate. A processing tool containing a processing system for forming a silicon-containing film on s substrate using a HCD process gas is provided.