Abstract: A method may include providing a cavity in a surface of a substrate, the cavity comprising a sidewall portion and a lower surface; directing depositing species to the surface of the substrate, wherein the depositing species condense to form a fill material on the sidewall portion and lower surface; and directing angled ions at the cavity at a non-zero angle of incidence with respect to a perpendicular to a plane defined by the substrate, wherein the angled ions strike an exposed part of the sidewall portion and do not strike the lower surface, and wherein the cavity is filled by the fill material in a bottom-up fill process.

Abstract: A method of patterning a substrate may include providing a cavity in a layer, disposed on the substrate. The cavity may have a first length along a first direction and a first width along a second direction, perpendicular to the first direction. The method may include directing first angled ions in a first exposure to the cavity, wherein after the first exposure the cavity has a second length, greater than the first length; directing normal ions in a second exposure to the cavity, wherein the cavity retains the second length after the second exposure; and directing second angled ions to the cavity is a third exposure, subsequent to the second exposure, wherein the cavity has a third length, greater than the second length, after the third exposure.

Abstract: A substrate assembly may include an outer halo, the outer halo comprising a first material and defining a first aperture. The substrate assembly may also include a halo ring, comprising a second material and disposed at least partially within the first aperture. The halo ring may define a second aperture, concentrically positioned within the first aperture, wherein the halo ring is coupled to accommodate a substrate therein.

Abstract: A method may include providing a surface feature on a substrate, the surface feature comprising a feature shape a feature location, and a dimension along a first direction within a substrate plane; depositing a layer comprising a layer material on the surface feature; and directing ions in an ion exposure at an angle of incidence toward the substrate, the angle of incidence forming a non-zero angle with respect to a perpendicular to the substrate plane, wherein the ion exposure comprises the ions and reactive neutral species, the ion exposure reactively etching the layer material, wherein the ions impact a first portion of the surface feature and do not impact a second portion of the surface feature, and wherein an altered surface feature is generated, the altered surface feature differing from the surface feature in at least one of: the dimension along the first direction, the feature shape, or the feature location.

Abstract: In one embodiment, an apparatus to selectively deposit a carbon layer on substrate, comprising a plasma chamber to receive a flow of carbon-containing gas; a power source to generate a plasma containing the carbon-containing gas in the plasma chamber; an extraction plate to extract an ion beam from the plasma and direct the ion beam to the substrate, the ion beam comprising ions having trajectories forming a non-zero angle of incidence with respect to a perpendicular to a plane of the substrate, the extraction plate further configured to conduct a neutral species derived from the carbon-containing gas to the substrate; and a substrate stage facing the extraction plate and including a heater to heat the substrate to a first temperature, when the ion beam and carbon-containing species impinge on the substrate.

Abstract: A method of patterning a substrate. The method may include: providing a first surface feature and a second surface feature in a staggered configuration within a layer, the layer being disposed on the substrate, and directing first ions in a first exposure to a first side of the first surface feature and a first side of the second surface feature, in a presence of a reactive ambient containing a reactive species, wherein the first exposure etches the first side of the first surface feature and the first side of the second surface feature, wherein after the directing, the first surface feature and the second surface feature merge to form a third surface feature.

Abstract: An apparatus may include a processor and memory unit, including a control routine having a measurement processor to determine, based upon a first set of scatterometry measurements, a first change in a first dimension of a first set of substrate features along a first direction. The first set of substrate features may be elongated along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The measurement processor may be to determine, based upon a second set of scatterometry measurements, a second change in dimension of a second set of substrate features along the second direction, wherein the second set of substrate features is elongated along the first direction. The apparatus may include a control processor to generate an error signal when a figure of merit based upon the first change and the second change lies outside a target range.

Abstract: Provided herein are approaches for forming a gate oxide layer for a DRAM device, the method including providing a finned substrate having a recess formed therein, and performing an ion implant into a sidewall surface of the recess to form a gate oxide layer having a non-uniform thickness, wherein a thickness of the gate oxide layer at a top section of the sidewall surface is greater than a thickness of the gate oxide layer at a bottom section of the sidewall surface. In some approaches, the ion implant is provided as a series of ion implants at multiple different implant angles, varied along with an ion implantation energy and/or an ion dose to increase the thickness of the gate oxide of the top section of the sidewall surface. In some approaches, the finned substrate is also exposed to a plasma, either during or after, the ion implantation.

Abstract: An apparatus may include a processor and memory unit, including a control routine having a measurement processor to determine, based upon a first set of scatterometry measurements, a first change in a first dimension of a first set of substrate features along a first direction. The first set of substrate features may be elongated along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The measurement processor may be to determine, based upon a second set of scatterometry measurements, a second change in dimension of a second set of substrate features along the second direction, wherein the second set of substrate features is elongated along the first direction. The apparatus may include a control processor to generate an error signal when a figure of merit based upon the first change and the second change lies outside a target range.

Abstract: A method of patterning a substrate. The method may include providing a surface feature on the substrate, the surface feature having a first dimension along a first direction within a substrate plane, and a second dimension along a second direction within the substrate plane, wherein the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction; and directing first ions in a first exposure to the surface feature along the first direction at a non-zero angle of incidence with respect to a perpendicular to the substrate plane, in a presence of a reactive ambient containing a reactive species; wherein the first exposure etches the surface feature along the first direction, wherein after the directing, the surface feature retains the second dimension along the second direction, and wherein the surface feature has a third dimension along the first direction different than the first dimension.

Abstract: A method may include providing a patterned feature extending from a substrate plane of a substrate, the patterned feature including a semiconductor portion and a coating in an unhardened state extending along a top region and along sidewall regions of the semiconductor portion; implanting first ions into the coating, the first ions having a first trajectory along a perpendicular to the substrate plane, wherein the first ions form a etch-hardened portion comprising a hardened state disposed along the top region; and directing a reactive etch using second ions at the coating, the second ions having a second trajectory forming a non-zero angle with respect to the perpendicular, wherein the reactive etch removes the etch-hardened portion at a first etch rate, wherein the first etch rate is less than a second etch rate when the second ions are directed in the reactive etch to the top portion in the unhardened state.

Abstract: A method may include providing a surface feature on a substrate, the surface feature comprising a feature shape a feature location, and a dimension along a first direction within a substrate plane; depositing a layer comprising a layer material on the surface feature; and directing ions in an ion exposure at an angle of incidence toward the substrate, the angle of incidence forming a non-zero angle with respect to a perpendicular to the substrate plane, wherein the ion exposure comprises the ions and reactive neutral species, the ion exposure reactively etching the layer material, wherein the ions impact a first portion of the surface feature and do not impact a second portion of the surface feature, and wherein an altered surface feature is generated, the altered surface feature differing from the surface feature in at least one of: the dimension along the first direction, the feature shape, or the feature location.

Abstract: A method of treating a substrate includes directing ions to the substrate along at least one non-zero angle with respect to a perpendicular to a substrate surface in a presence of a reactive ambient containing a reactive species where the substrate includes a surface feature. At least one surface of the surface feature is etched using the ions in combination with the reactive ambient at a first etch rate that is greater than a second etch rate when the ions are directed to the substrate without the reactive ambient and greater than a third etch rate when the reactive ambient is provided to the substrate without the ions.

Abstract: A method of patterning a substrate. The method may include providing a surface feature on the substrate, the surface feature having a first dimension along a first direction within a substrate plane, and a second dimension along a second direction within the substrate plane, wherein the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction; and directing first ions in a first exposure to the surface feature along the first direction at a non-zero angle of incidence with respect to a perpendicular to the substrate plane, in a presence of a reactive ambient containing a reactive species; wherein the first exposure etches the surface feature along the first direction, wherein after the directing, the surface feature retains the second dimension along the second direction, and wherein the surface feature has a third dimension along the first direction different than the first dimension.

Abstract: A method may include providing a surface feature on a substrate, the surface feature comprising a feature shape a feature location, and a dimension along a first direction within a substrate plane; depositing a layer comprising a layer material on the surface feature; and directing ions in an ion exposure at an angle of incidence toward the substrate, the angle of incidence forming a non-zero angle with respect to a perpendicular to the substrate plane, wherein the ion exposure comprises the ions and reactive neutral species, the ion exposure reactively etching the layer material, wherein the ions impact a first portion of the surface feature and do not impact a second portion of the surface feature, and wherein an altered surface feature is generated, the altered surface feature differing from the surface feature in at least one of: the dimension along the first direction, the feature shape, or the feature location.

Abstract: A method of treating a substrate includes directing ions to the substrate along at least one non-zero angle with respect to a perpendicular to a substrate surface in a presence of a reactive ambient containing a reactive species where the substrate includes a surface feature. At least one surface of the surface feature is etched using the ions in combination with the reactive ambient at a first etch rate that is greater than a second etch rate when the ions are directed to the substrate without the reactive ambient and greater than a third etch rate when the reactive ambient is provided to the substrate without the ions.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a processing apparatus may include a process chamber configured to house a substrate and a hybrid source assembly that includes a gas channel coupled to a molecular source; and a plasma chamber configured to generate a plasma and isolated from the gas channel. The processing apparatus may also include an extraction assembly disposed between the hybrid source assembly and process chamber, coupled to the gas channel and plasma chamber, and configured to direct an ion beam to a substrate, the ion beam comprising angled ions wherein the angled ions form a non-zero angle with respect to a perpendicular to a substrate plane; and configured to direct a molecular beam comprising molecular species received from the gas channel to the substrate.

Abstract: A method of patterning a substrate. The method may include: providing a first surface feature and a second surface feature in a staggered configuration within a layer, the layer being disposed on the substrate, and directing first ions in a first exposure to a first side of the first surface feature and a first side of the second surface feature, in a presence of a reactive ambient containing a reactive species, wherein the first exposure etches the first side of the first surface feature and the first side of the second surface feature, wherein after the directing, the first surface feature and the second surface feature merge to form a third surface feature.

Abstract: A method may include providing a substrate having a surface that defines a substrate plane and a substrate feature that extends from the substrate plane; directing an ion beam comprising angled ions to the substrate at a non-zero angle with respect to a perpendicular to the substrate plane, wherein a first portion of the substrate feature is exposed to the ion beam and wherein a second portion of the substrate feature is not exposed to the ion beam; directing molecules of a molecular species to the substrate wherein the molecules of the molecular species cover the substrate feature; and providing a second species to react with the molecular species, wherein selective growth of a layer comprising the molecular species and the second species takes place such that a first thickness of the layer grown on the first portion is different from a second thickness grown on the second portion.

Abstract: A method may include providing a cavity in a surface of a substrate, the cavity comprising a sidewall portion and a lower surface; directing depositing species to the surface of the substrate, wherein the depositing species condense to form a fill material on the sidewall portion and lower surface; and directing angled ions at the cavity at a non-zero angle of incidence with respect to a perpendicular to a plane defined by the substrate, wherein the angled ions strike an exposed part of the sidewall portion and do not strike the lower surface, and wherein the cavity is filled by the fill material in a bottom-up fill process.