Abstract: A method for processing a substrate includes performing a cyclic process including a plurality of cycles, where the cyclic process includes: forming, in a plasma processing chamber, a passivation layer over sidewalls of a recess in a carbon-containing layer, by exposing the substrate to a first gas including boron, silicon, or aluminum, the carbon-containing layer being disposed over a substrate, purging the plasma processing chamber with a second gas including a hydrogen-containing gas, an oxygen-containing gas, or molecular nitrogen, and exposing the substrate to a plasma generated from the second gas, where each cycle of the plurality of cycles extends the recess vertically into the carbon-containing layer.

Abstract: A method for processing a substrate includes performing a cyclic process including a plurality of cycles, where the cyclic process includes: forming, in a plasma processing chamber, a passivation layer over sidewalls of a recess in a carbon-containing layer, by exposing the substrate to a first gas including boron, silicon, or aluminum, the carbon-containing layer being disposed over a substrate, purging the plasma processing chamber with a second gas including a hydrogen-containing gas, an oxygen-containing gas, or molecular nitrogen, and exposing the substrate to a plasma generated from the second gas, where each cycle of the plurality of cycles extends the recess vertically into the carbon-containing layer.

Abstract: A method for etching high-aspect ratio recessed features in an amorphous carbon layer is presented. The method includes providing a substrate containing an amorphous carbon layer and a patterned mask layer, plasma-etching a recessed feature through less than an entire thickness of the amorphous carbon layer using the patterned mask, forming a passivation layer on a sidewall of the etched amorphous carbon layer in the recessed feature by exposing the substrate to a passivation gas in the absence of a plasma, and repeating the plasma-etching and forming the passivation layer at least once to extend the recessed feature in the amorphous carbon layer.

Abstract: A method for processing a substrate that includes: loading the substrate in a plasma processing chamber; performing a cyclic plasma etch process including a plurality of cycles, where each cycle of the plurality of cycles includes: generating a first plasma from a first gas mixture including a fluorosilane and oxygen; performing a deposition step by exposing the substrate to the first plasma to form a passivation film including silicon and fluorine; generating a second plasma from a second gas mixture including a noble gas; and performing an etch step by exposing the substrate to the second plasma.

Abstract: A method of high-throughput dry etching of a film by proton-mediated catalyst formation. The method includes providing a substrate having a film thereon containing silicon-oxygen components, silicon-nitrogen components, or both, introducing an etching gas in the process chamber, plasma-exciting the etching gas, and exposing the film to the plasma-excited etching gas to etch the film. In one example, the etching gas contains at least three different gases that include a fluorine-containing gas, a hydrogen-containing gas, and a nitrogen-containing gas, plasma-exciting the etching gas. In another example, the etching gas contains at least four different gases that include a fluorine-containing gas, a hydrogen-containing gas, an oxygen-containing gas, and a silicon-containing gas.

Abstract: Methods for the atomic layer etch (ALE) of tungsten or other metal layers are disclosed that use in part sequential oxidation and reduction of tungsten/metal layers to achieve target etch parameters. For one embodiment, a metal layer is first oxidized to form a metal oxide layer and an underlying metal layer. The metal oxide layer is then reduced to form a surface metal layer and an underlying metal oxide layer. The surface metal layer is then removed to leave the underlying metal oxide layer and the underlying metal layer. Further, the oxidizing, reducing, and removing processes can be repeated to achieve a target etch depth. In addition, a target etch rate can also achieved for each process cycle of oxidizing, reducing, and removing.

Abstract: A method for selective plasma etching of silicon oxide relative to silicon nitride. The method includes a) providing a substrate containing a silicon oxide film and a silicon nitride film, b) exposing the substrate to a plasma-excited treatment gas containing 1) H2 and 2) HF, F2, or both HF and F2, to form a silicon oxide surface layer with reduced oxygen content on the silicon oxide film and form an ammonium salt layer on the silicon nitride film, c) exposing the substrate to a plasma-excited halogen-containing gas that reacts with and removes the silicon oxide surface layer from the silicon oxide film, and d) repeating steps b) and c) at least once to further selectively etch the silicon oxide film relative to the ammonium salt layer on the silicon nitride film. The ammonium salt layer may be removed when the desired etching has been achieved.

Abstract: A method for selective etching of silicon oxide relative to silicon nitride includes exposing a substrate to a first gas that forms a first layer on the silicon oxide film and a second layer on the silicon nitride film, where the first gas contains boron, aluminum, or both boron and aluminum, exposing the substrate to a nitrogen-containing gas that reacts with the first layer to form a first nitride layer on the silicon oxide film and reacts with the second layer to form a second nitride layer on the silicon nitride film, where a thickness of the second nitride layer is greater than a thickness of the first nitride layer. The method further includes exposing the substrate to an etching gas that etches the first nitride layer and silicon oxide film, where the second nitride layer protects the silicon nitride film from etching by the etching gas.

Abstract: A method of high-throughput dry etching of silicon oxide and silicon nitride materials by in-situ autocatalyst formation. The method includes providing a substrate having a film thereon in a process chamber, the film containing silicon oxide, silicon nitride, or both silicon oxide and silicon nitride, introducing an etching gas containing fluorine and hydrogen, and setting a gas pressure in the process chamber that is between about 1 mTorr and about 300 mTorr, and a substrate temperature that is below about ?30° C. The method further includes plasma-exciting the etching gas, and exposing the film to the plasma-excited etching gas, where the film is continuously etched during the exposing.

Abstract: A method for selective plasma etching of silicon oxide relative to silicon nitride is described. The method includes providing a substrate containing a silicon oxide film and a silicon nitride film, and selectively etching the silicon oxide film relative to the silicon nitride film by: a1) exposing the substrate to a plasma-excited passivation gas containing carbon, sulfur, or both carbon and sulfur, where the plasma-excited passivation gas does not contain fluorine or hydrogen, and b1) exposing the substrate to a plasma-excited etching gas containing a fluorine-containing gas. The method can further include, between a1) and b1), an additional step of a2) exposing the substrate to a plasma-excited additional passivation gas containing a fluorocarbon gas, hydrofluorocarbon gas, a hydrochlorocarbon gas, a hydrochlorofluorocarbon gas, or a hydrocarbon gas, or a combination thereof.

Abstract: A method for selective etching of silicon oxide relative to silicon nitride includes exposing a substrate to a first gas that forms a first layer on the silicon oxide film and a second layer on the silicon nitride film, where the first gas contains boron, aluminum, or both boron and aluminum, exposing the substrate to a nitrogen-containing gas that reacts with the first layer to form a first nitride layer on the silicon oxide film and reacts with the second layer to form a second nitride layer on the silicon nitride film, where a thickness of the second nitride layer is greater than a thickness of the first nitride layer. The method further includes exposing the substrate to an etching gas that etches the first nitride layer and silicon oxide film, where the second nitride layer protects the silicon nitride film from etching by the etching gas.

Abstract: A method for selective plasma etching of silicon oxide relative to silicon nitride is described. The method includes providing a substrate containing a silicon oxide film and a silicon nitride film, and selectively etching the silicon oxide film relative to the silicon nitride film by: a1) exposing the substrate to a plasma-excited passivation gas containing carbon, sulfur, or both carbon and sulfur, where the plasma-excited passivation gas does not contain fluorine or hydrogen, and b1) exposing the substrate to a plasma-excited etching gas containing a fluorine-containing gas. The method can further include, between a1) and b1), an additional step of a2) exposing the substrate to a plasma-excited additional passivation gas containing a fluorocarbon gas, hydrofluorocarbon gas, a hydrochlorocarbon gas, a hydrochlorofluorocarbon gas, or a hydrocarbon gas, or a combination thereof.

Abstract: Methods for the atomic layer etch (ALE) of tungsten or other metal layers are disclosed that use in part sequential oxidation and reduction of tungsten/metal layers to achieve target etch parameters. For one embodiment, a metal layer is first oxidized to form a metal oxide layer and an underlying metal layer. The metal oxide layer is then reduced to form a surface metal layer and an underlying metal oxide layer. The surface metal layer is then removed to leave the underlying metal oxide layer and the underlying metal layer. Further, the oxidizing, reducing, and removing processes can be repeated to achieve a target etch depth. In addition, a target etch rate can also achieved for each process cycle of oxidizing, reducing, and removing.

Abstract: A method for selective plasma etching of silicon oxide relative to silicon nitride. The method includes a) providing a substrate containing a silicon oxide film and a silicon nitride film, b) exposing the substrate to a plasma-excited treatment gas containing 1) H2 and 2) HF, F2, or both HF and F2, to form a silicon oxide surface layer with reduced oxygen content on the silicon oxide film and form an ammonium salt layer on the silicon nitride film, c) exposing the substrate to a plasma-excited halogen-containing gas that reacts with and removes the silicon oxide surface layer from the silicon oxide film, and d) repeating steps b) and c) at least once to further selectively etch the silicon oxide film relative to the ammonium salt layer on the silicon nitride film. The ammonium salt layer may be removed when the desired etching has been achieved.

Abstract: Methods of cardiovascular patient treatment using substances sufficient to reduce actin depolymerization. In an exemplary embodiment of a method of treating a patient of the present disclosure, the method comprises the step of administering a therapeutically effective dose of a substance that reduces actin depolymerization within a vasculature of a patient to treat a cardiovascular condition of the patient. In at least one embodiment, the substance the substance is selected from the group consisting of jasplakinolide, Jasplaskinolide V, and Amphidinolide H.