Abstract: Methods of depositing a film on a substrate surface include surface mediated reactions in which a film is grown over one or more cycles of reactant adsorption and reaction. In one aspect, the method is characterized by the following operations: (a) exposing the substrate surface to a first reactant in vapor phase under conditions allowing the first reactant to adsorb onto the substrate surface; (b) exposing the substrate surface to a second reactant in vapor phase while the first reactant is adsorbed on the substrate surface; and (c) exposing the substrate surface to plasma to drive a reaction between the first and second reactants adsorbed on the substrate surface to form the film.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for depositing continuous thin films using plasma-activated sub-saturated atomic layer deposition are provided herein. According to various embodiments, pin-hole free continuous films may be deposited at thicknesses thinner than achievable with conventional methods. The methods and apparatus also provide high degree of thickness control, with films a per-cycle thickness tunable to as low as 0.1 ? in some embodiments. Further, the methods and apparatus may be used to provide films having improved properties, such as lower wet etch rate, in some embodiments.

Abstract: Provided herein are methods and apparatus for filling one or more gaps on a semiconductor substrate. The disclosed embodiments are especially useful for forming seam-free, void-free fill in both narrow and wide features. The methods may be performed without any intervening etching operations to achieve a single step deposition. In various implementations, a first operation is performed using a novel PEALD fill mechanism to fill narrow gaps and line wide gaps. A second operation may be performed using PECVD methods to continue filling the wide gaps.

Abstract: Embodiments related to depositing thin conformal films using plasma-activated conformal film deposition (CFD) processes are described herein. In one example, a method of processing a substrate includes, applying photoresist to the substrate, exposing the photoresist to light via a stepper, patterning the resist with a pattern and transferring the pattern to the substrate, selectively removing photoresist from the substrate, placing the substrate into a process station, and, in the process station, in a first phase, generating radicals off of the substrate and adsorbing the radicals to the substrate to form active species, in a first purge phase, purging the process station, in a second phase, supplying a reactive plasma to the surface, the reactive plasma configured to react with the active species and generate the film, and in a second purge phase, purging the process station.

Abstract: Systems and methods for processing a substrate include a) arranging a substrate on a pedestal in a processing chamber; b) supplying precursor to the processing chamber; c) purging the processing chamber; d) performing radio frequency (RF) plasma activation; e) purging the processing chamber; and f) prior to purging the processing chamber in at least one of (c) or (e), setting a vacuum pressure of the processing chamber to a first predetermined pressure that is less than a vacuum pressure during at least one of (b) or (d) for a first predetermined period.

Abstract: Embodiments related to depositing thin conformal films using plasma-activated conformal film deposition (CFD) processes are described herein. In one example, a method of processing a substrate includes, applying photoresist to the substrate, exposing the photoresist to light via a stepper, patterning the resist with a pattern and transferring the pattern to the substrate, selectively removing photoresist from the substrate, placing the substrate into a process station, and, in the process station, in a first phase, generating radicals off of the substrate and adsorbing the radicals to the substrate to form active species, in a first purge phase, purging the process station, in a second phase, supplying a reactive plasma to the surface, the reactive plasma configured to react with the active species and generate the film, and in a second purge phase, purging the process station.

Abstract: Unconventional twisted ?-electron system electro-optic (EO) chromophores/compounds, compositions and related device structures. Crystallographic analysis of several non-limiting chromophores reveals, for instance, large ring-ring dihedral twist angles and a highly charge-separated zwitterionic structure in the ground state, in both solution phase and solid-state.

Abstract: Embodiments related to depositing thin conformal films using plasma-activated conformal film deposition (CFD) processes are described herein. In one example, a method of processing a substrate includes, applying photoresist to the substrate, exposing the photoresist to light via a stepper, patterning the resist with a pattern and transferring the pattern to the substrate, selectively removing photoresist from the substrate, placing the substrate into a process station, and, in the process station, in a first phase, generating radicals off of the substrate and adsorbing the radicals to the substrate to form active species, in a first purge phase, purging the process station, in a second phase, supplying a reactive plasma to the surface, the reactive plasma configured to react with the active species and generate the film, and in a second purge phase, purging the process station.

Abstract: Methods and hardware for depositing thin conformal films using plasma-activated conformal film deposition (CFD) processes are described herein. In one example, a method for forming a thin conformal film comprises, in a first phase, generating precursor radicals off of a surface of the substrate and adsorbing the precursor radicals to the surface to form surface active species; in a first purge phase, purging residual precursor from the process station; in a second phase, supplying a reactive plasma to the surface, the reactive plasma configured to react with the surface active species and generate the thin conformal film; and in a second purge phase, purging residual reactant from the process station.

Abstract: Unconventional twisted ?-electron system electro-optic (EO) chromophores/compounds, compositions and related device structures. Crystallographic analysis of several non-limiting chromophores reveals, for instance, large ring-ring dihedral twist angles and a highly charge-separated zwitterionic structure in the ground state, in both solution phase and solid-state.

Abstract: Methods of depositing a film on a substrate surface include surface mediated reactions in which a film is grown over one or more cycles of reactant adsorption and reaction. In one aspect, the method is characterized by the following operations: (a) exposing the substrate surface to a first reactant in vapor phase under conditions allowing the first reactant to adsorb onto the substrate surface; (b) exposing the substrate surface to a second reactant in vapor phase while the first reactant is adsorbed on the substrate surface; and (c) exposing the substrate surface to plasma to drive a reaction between the first and second reactants adsorbed on the substrate surface to form the film.

Abstract: Unconventional twisted ?-electron system electro-optic (EO) chromophores/compounds, compositions and related device structures. Crystallographic analysis of several non-limiting chromophores reveals, for instance, large ring-ring dihedral twist angles and a highly charge-separated zwitterionic structure in the ground state, in both solution phase and solid-state.

Abstract: Unconventional twisted ?-electron system electro-optic (EO) chromophores/compounds, compositions and related device structures. Crystallographic analysis of several non-limiting chromophores reveals, for instance, large ring-ring dihedral twist angles and a highly charge-separated zwitterionic structure in the ground state, in both solution phase and solid-state.

Abstract: Unconventional twisted ?-electron system electro-optic (EO) chromophores/compounds, compositions and related device structures. Crystallographic analysis of several non-limiting chromophores reveals, for instance, large ring-ring dihedral twist angles and a highly charge-separated zwitterionic structure in the ground state, in both solution phase and solid-state.

Abstract: Unconventional twisted ?-electron system electro-optic (EO) chromophores/compounds, compositions and related device structures. Crystallographic analysis of several non-limiting chromophores reveals, for instance, large ring-ring dihedral twist angles and a highly charge-separated zwitterionic structure in the ground state, in both solution phase and solid-state.