Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to oxide layer compositions for turbine engine components and methods for depositing the oxide layer compositions. In one or more embodiments, a turbine engine component includes a superalloy substrate and a bond coat disposed over the superalloy substrate. The turbine engine component includes an oxide layer disposed over the bond coat, where the oxide layer includes aluminum oxide and a metal dopant. The turbine engine component includes a thermal barrier coating disposed over the oxide layer.

Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to methods for selectively etching copper, cobalt, and/or aluminum layers on a substrate semiconductor manufacturing applications. A substrate comprising one or more copper layers, cobalt layers, or aluminum layers is transferred to a processing chamber. The surface of the copper, cobalt, or aluminum layer is oxidized. The oxidized copper, cobalt, or aluminum surface is then exposed to hexafluoroacetylacetonate vapor. The hexafluoroacetylacetonate vapor reacts with the oxidized copper, cobalt, or aluminum surface to form a volatile compound, which is then pumped out of the chamber. The reaction of the oxidized copper, cobalt, or aluminum surface with the hexafluoroacetylacetonate vapor selectively atomic layer etches the copper, cobalt, or aluminum surface.

Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure provide methods for fabricating or otherwise forming a protective coating containing cerium oxide on processing chamber surfaces and/or components, such as surfaces which are exposed to a plasma within a processing chamber. In one or more embodiments, a method of forming a protective coating within a processing chamber includes depositing a cerium oxide layer on a chamber surface or a chamber component during an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process. The ALD process includes sequentially exposing the chamber surface or the chamber component to a cerium precursor, a purge gas, an oxidizing agent, and the purge gas during an ALD cycle, and repeating the ALD cycle to deposit the cerium oxide layer.

Abstract: Exemplary methods for selective etching of semiconductor materials may include flowing a fluorine-containing precursor into a processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber. The methods may also include flowing a silicon-containing suppressant into the processing region of the semiconductor processing chamber. The methods may further include contacting a substrate with the fluorine-containing precursor and the silicon-containing suppressant. The substrate may include an exposed region of silicon nitride and an exposed region of silicon oxide. The methods may also include selectively etching the exposed region of silicon nitride to the exposed region of silicon oxide.

Abstract: Embodiments described herein relate to flat optical devices and methods of forming flat optical devices. One embodiment includes a substrate having a first arrangement of a first plurality of pillars formed thereon. The first arrangement of the first plurality of pillars includes pillars having a height h and a lateral distance d, and a gap g corresponding to a distance between adjacent pillars of the first plurality of pillars. An aspect ratio of the gap g to the height h is between about 1:1 and about 1:20. A first encapsulation layer is disposed over the first arrangement of the first plurality of pillars. The first encapsulation layer has a refractive index of about 1.0 to about 1.5. The first encapsulation layer, the substrate, and each of the pillars of the first arrangement define a first space therebetween. The first space has a refractive index of about 1.0 to about 1.5.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to planarization of surfaces on substrates and on layers formed on substrates. More specifically, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to planarization of surfaces on substrates for advanced packaging applications, such as surfaces of polymeric material layers. In one implementation, the method includes mechanically grinding a substrate surface against a polishing surface in the presence of a grinding slurry during a first polishing process to remove a portion of a material formed on the substrate; and then chemically mechanically polishing the substrate surface against the polishing surface in the presence of a polishing slurry during a second polishing process to reduce any roughness or unevenness caused by the first polishing process.

Abstract: Embodiments described herein provide a method of forming amorphous a fluorinated metal film. The method includes positioning an object in an atomic layer deposition (ALD) chamber having a processing region, depositing a metal-oxide containing layer on an object using an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process, depositing a metal-fluorine layer on the metal-oxide containing layer using an activated fluorination process, and repeating the depositing the metal-oxide containing layer and the depositing the metal-oxide containing layer until a fluorinated metal film with a predetermined film thickness is formed. The activated fluorination process includes introducing a first flow of a fluorine precursor (FP) to the processing region. The FP includes at least one organofluorine reagent or at least one fluorinated gas.

Abstract: Systems and methods of etching a semiconductor substrate may include flowing an oxygen-containing precursor into a substrate processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber. The substrate processing region may house the semiconductor substrate, and the semiconductor substrate may include an exposed metal-containing material. The methods may include flowing ammonia into the substrate processing region at a temperature above about 200° C. The methods may further include removing an amount of the metal-containing material.

Abstract: Precursors, such as interhalogens and/or compounds formed of noble gases and halogens, may be supplied in a gaseous form to a semiconductor processing chamber at a predetermined amount, flow rate, pressure, and/or temperature in a cyclic manner such that atomic layer etching of select semiconductor materials may be achieved in each cycle. In the etching process, the element of the precursor that has a relatively higher electronegativity may react with select semiconductor materials to form volatile etching byproducts. The element of the precursor that has a relatively lower electronegativity may form a gas that may be recycled to re-form an precursor with one or more halogen-containing materials using a plasma process.

Abstract: Exemplary methods for selective etching of semiconductor materials may include flowing a fluorine-containing precursor into a processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber. The methods may also include flowing a silicon-containing suppressant into the processing region of the semiconductor processing chamber. The methods may further include contacting a substrate with the fluorine-containing precursor and the silicon-containing suppressant. The substrate may include an exposed region of silicon nitride and an exposed region of silicon oxide. The methods may also include selectively etching the exposed region of silicon nitride to the exposed region of silicon oxide.

Abstract: Systems and methods of etching a semiconductor substrate may include flowing an oxygen-containing precursor into a substrate processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber. The substrate processing region may house the semiconductor substrate, and the semiconductor substrate may include an exposed metal-containing material. The methods may include flowing ammonia into the substrate processing region at a temperature above about 200° C. The methods may further include removing an amount of the metal-containing material.

Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure may provide a method and apparatus for cleaning an epi-chamber at a low temperature so that residues are quickly eliminated from a surface of the epi-chamber after a performing a low temperature epitaxial deposition process. Some of the benefits of the present disclosure include flowing a chlorine containing gas to an improved epi-chamber having UV capability to chlorinate and quickly remove the epitaxial deposition residues at a low cleaning process temperature. As such, residues are decreased or removed from the epi-chamber such that further processing may be performed.

Abstract: Precursors, such as interhalogens and/or compounds formed of noble gases and halogens, may be supplied in a gaseous form to a semiconductor processing chamber at a predetermined amount, flow rate, pressure, and/or temperature in a cyclic manner such that atomic layer etching of select semiconductor materials may be achieved in each cycle. In the etching process, the element of the precursor that has a relatively higher electronegativity may react with select semiconductor materials to form volatile etching byproducts. The element of the precursor that has a relatively lower electronegativity may form a gas that may be recycled to re-form an precursor with one or more halogen-containing materials using a plasma process.

Abstract: Systems and methods for forming films on the surface of a substrate are described. The systems possess aerosol generators which form droplets from a liquid solution made from a solvent and a deposition precursor. A carrier gas may be flowed through the liquid solution and push the droplets toward a substrate placed in a substrate processing region. The droplets pass into the substrate processing region and chemically react with the substrate to form films. The temperature of the substrate may be maintained below the boiling temperature of the solvent during film formation. The solvent imparts a flowability to the forming film and enable the depositing film to flow along the surface of a patterned substrate during formation prior to solidifying. The flowable film results in bottom-up gapfill inside narrow high-aspect ratio gaps in the patterned substrate.

Abstract: Systems and methods for processing films on the surface of a substrate are described. The systems possess aerosol generators which form droplets from a condensed matter (liquid or solid) of one or more precursors. A carrier gas is flowed through the condensed matter and push the droplets toward a substrate placed in a substrate processing region. An inline pump connected with the aerosol generator can also be used to push the droplets towards the substrate. A direct current (DC) electric field is applied between two conducting plates configured to pass the droplets in-between. The size of the droplets is desirably reduced by application of the DC electric field. After passing through the DC electric field, the droplets pass into the substrate processing region and chemically react with the substrate to deposit or etch films.

Abstract: Systems and methods for processing films on the surface of a substrate are described. The systems possess aerosol generators which form droplets from a condensed matter (liquid or solid) of one or more precursors. A carrier gas is flowed through the condensed matter and push the droplets toward a substrate placed in a substrate processing region. An inline pump connected with the aerosol generator can also be used to push the droplets towards the substrate. A direct current (DC) electric field is applied between two conducting plates configured to pass the droplets in-between. The size of the droplets is desirably reduced by application of the DC electric field. After passing through the DC electric field, the droplets pass into the substrate processing region and chemically react with the substrate to deposit or etch films.

Abstract: Implementations described herein generally relate to processes for the fabrication of semiconductor devices in which a self-assembled monolayer (“SAM”) is used to achieve selective epitaxial deposition. In one implementation, a method of processing a substrate is provided. The method comprises exposing a substrate to a self-assembled monolayer (“SAM”) forming molecule to selectively deposit a SAM film on an exposed dielectric material, wherein the substrate comprises the exposed dielectric material and an exposed silicon material. The SAM forming molecule is a chlorosilane molecule. The method further comprises epitaxially and selectively depositing a silicon-containing material layer on the exposed silicon material at a temperature of 400 degrees Celsius or lower. The method further comprises removing the SAM film from the exposed dielectric material.

Abstract: Systems and methods for forming films on the surface of a substrate are described. The systems possess aerosol generators which form droplets from a liquid solution made from a solvent and a deposition precursor. A carrier gas may be flowed through the liquid solution and push the droplets toward a substrate placed in a substrate processing region. The droplets pass into the substrate processing region and chemically react with the substrate to form films. The temperature of the substrate may be maintained below the boiling temperature of the solvent during film formation. The solvent imparts a flowability to the forming film and enable the depositing film to flow along the surface of a patterned substrate during formation prior to solidifying. The flowable film results in bottom-up gapfill inside narrow high-aspect ratio gaps in the patterned substrate.

Abstract: Methods of discouraging poreseal deposition on metal (e.g. copper) at the bottom of a via during a poresealing process are described. A self-assembled monolayer (SAM) is selectively formed on the exposed metal surface and prevents or discourages formation of poreseal on the metal. The SAM is selectively formed by exposing a patterned substrate to a SAM molecule which preferentially binds to exposed metal surfaces rather than exposed dielectric surfaces. The selected SAM molecules tend to not bind to low-k films. The SAM and SAM molecule are also chosen so the SAM tolerates subsequent processing at relatively high processing temperatures above 140° C. or 160° C. Aliphatic or aromatic SAM molecules with thiol head moieties may be used to form the SAM.

Abstract: Methods of discouraging poreseal deposition on metal (e.g. copper) at the bottom of a via during a poresealing process are described. A self-assembled monolayer (SAM) is selectively formed on the exposed metal surface and prevents or discourages formation of poreseal on the metal. The SAM is selectively formed by exposing a patterned substrate to a SAM molecule which preferentially binds to exposed metal surfaces rather than exposed dielectric surfaces. The selected SAM molecules tend to not bind to low-k films. The SAM and SAM molecule are also chosen so the SAM tolerates subsequent processing at relatively high processing temperatures above 140° C. or 160° C. Aliphatic or aromatic SAM molecules with thiol head moieties may be used to form the SAM.