Abstract: A method for forming an oxide film includes a first in-situ steam generation (ISSG) process using a 1%-H2 concentration in the ambient gas and a subsequent second ISSG process using a 5%-H2 concentration in the ambient gas, wherein the second ISSG process compensates an in-plane thickness distribution of the film formed by the first ISSG process. The time length for the first and second ISSG steps is determined based on a desired film thickness, a time length dependency of a film formed by the second ISSG process, and the oxidation rate of the first and second ISSG processes.

Abstract: A method of fabricating spacers is provided. The method includes providing a substrate with a device structure formed thereon. The device structure comprises a gate structure and a pair of source/drain regions. Then, a spacer material layer is formed over the substrate to cover the substrate and the device structure. Thereafter, an etching process is performed to remove a portion of the spacer material layer so that spacers are formed on the respective sidewalls of the gate structure. After that, a plasma treatment step is performed to form a spacer protection layer on the surface of the substrate, the spacers and the gate structure.

Abstract: A method is presented in which a layer which is to be oxidized is processed, in a single-substrate process. The process temperature during the processing is recorded directly at the substrate or at a holding device for the substrate. The method includes introducing a substrate, which bears a layer to be oxidized uncovered in an edge region in a layer stack, into a heating device, passing an oxidation gas onto the substrate, heating the substrate to a process temperature, which is recorded during the processing via a temperature of a holding device which holds the substrate, and controlling the substrate temperature to a desired temperature or temperature curve during the processing.

Abstract: Methods of fabricating an oxide layer on a semiconductor substrate are provided herein. The oxide layer may be formed over an entire structure disposed on the substrate, or selectively formed on a non-metal containing layer with little or no oxidation of an exposed metal-containing layer. The methods disclosed herein may be performed in a variety of process chambers, including but not limited to decoupled plasma oxidation chambers, rapid and/or remote plasma oxidation chambers, and/or plasma immersion ion implantation chambers. In some embodiments, a method may include providing a substrate comprising a metal-containing layer and non-metal containing layer; and forming an oxide layer on an exposed surface of the non-metal containing layer by exposing the substrate to a plasma formed from a process gas comprising a hydrogen-containing gas, an oxygen-containing gas, and at least one of a supplemental oxygen-containing gas or a nitrogen-containing gas.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of fabricating an optical waveguide device including the steps of forming a mask over a waveguide core material layer so as to leave a portion of the layer exposed, and exposing the structure to an oxidizing environment to form an oxide layer on the waveguide core material layer at least in the exposed portion thereby defining the lateral dimension of the waveguide core. The resulting waveguide core has extremely smooth surfaces for low optical losses.

Abstract: A method of forming narrow fins in a substrate includes forming a sacrificial mandrel layer over the substrate; using a photolithographic process to pattern the mandrel layer so as to perform a plurality of mandrel features having an initial width greater than or equal to F and spacing therebetween of greater than or equal to F, wherein F corresponds to a minimum feature size associated with the photolithographic process; performing a thermal oxidation of sidewall surfaces of the mandrel features so as to form a plurality of oxide pillars, wherein the thermal oxidation consumes a portion of the mandrel material, and wherein the plurality of oxide pillars have both a width and a spacing therebetween that is less than F; removing remaining portions of the material; and transferring a pattern defined by the oxide pillars into the semiconductor substrate so as to form a plurality of fins having both a width and a spacing therebetween that is less than F.

Abstract: An oxidation method is capable of forming oxide films in an improved interfilm thickness uniformity. The oxidation method includes the steps of supplying an oxidizing gas and a reducing gas into a processing vessel 22 capable of being evacuated and holding a plurality of workpieces W arranged at predetermined pitches, and creating a process atmosphere containing active oxygen species and active hydroxyl species in the processing vessel 22 through the interaction of the oxidizing gas-and the reducing gas. At least either of the oxidizing gas and the reducing gas is jetted into an upstream region S1, a middle region S2 and a downstream region S3, with respect to the flowing direction of the gas, of a processing space S containing the workpieces W.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a semiconductor device including gate dielectrics having different thicknesses may be provided. A method of fabricating a semiconductor device may include providing a substrate having a higher voltage device region and a lower voltage device region, forming an anti-oxidation layer on the substrate, and selectively removing portions of the anti-oxidation layer on the substrate. The method may also include performing a first thermal oxidization on the substrate to form a field oxide layer on the selectively removed portions of the anti-oxidation layer, removing the anti-oxidation layer disposed on the higher voltage device region, performing a second thermal oxidization on the substrate to form a central higher voltage gate oxide layer on the higher voltage device region, removing the anti-oxidation layer disposed on the lower voltage device region, and performing a third thermal oxidization on the substrate to form a lower voltage gate oxide layer on the lower voltage device region.

Abstract: A method is provided for using a film formation apparatus including a process container having an inner surface, which contains as a main component a material selected from the group consisting of quartz and silicon carbide. The method includes performing a film formation process to form a silicon nitride film on a product target substrate inside the process container, and then, unloading the product target substrate from the process container. Thereafter, the method includes supplying an oxidizing gas into the process container with no product target substrate accommodated therein, thereby performing an oxidation process to change by-product films deposited on the inner surface of the process container into a composition richer in oxygen than nitrogen, at a part of the by-product films from a surface thereof to a predetermined depth.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method of fabricating nano-dimensional structures, comprising: depositing at least one deformable material upon a substrate such that the material includes at least one portion; and creating an oxidizable layer located substantially adjacent to the deposited deformable material such that at least a portion of the oxidized portion of the oxidizable layer interacts with the at least one portion of the deformable material to apply a localized pressure upon the at least one portion of the deformable material.

Abstract: A silicon-on-insulator (SOI) device and structure having locally strained regions in the silicon active layer formed by increasing the thickness of underlying regions of a buried insulating layer separating the silicon active layer from the substrate. The stress transferred from the underlying thickened regions of the insulating layer to the overlying strained regions increases carrier mobility in these confined regions of the active layer. Devices formed in and on the silicon active layer may benefit from the increased carrier mobility in the spaced-apart strained regions.

Abstract: A method for oxidation of an object to be processed is provided wherein an oxide film can provide favorable film quality and a laminate structure of nitride film and oxide film can be obtained by a thermal oxidation of a nitride film. In a method for oxidation of a surface of an object to be processed in a single processing container 8 which can contain a plurality of objects to be processed, at least a nitride film is exposed on said surface, and said oxidation is performed by mainly using active hydroxyl/oxygen species in a vacuum atmosphere, setting a processing pressure to 133 Pa or below, and setting a processing temperature to 400° C. or above. Under these conditions, high interplanar uniformity is maintained and oxide films with favorable film quality are obtained by oxidizing nitride films on the surfaces of a plurality of objects to be processed.

Abstract: An oxidizing method for an object to be processed according to the present invention includes: an arranging step of arranging a plurality of objects to be processed in a processing container whose inside can be vacuumed, the processing container having a predetermined length, a main supplying unit of an oxidative gas and a supplying unit of a reducing gas being provided at one end of the processing container, a sub supplying unit of the oxidative gas being provided on a way in a longitudinal direction of the processing container; an atmosphere forming step of supplying the oxidative gas and the reducing gas into the processing container in order to form an atmosphere having active oxygen species and active hydroxyl species in the processing container; and an oxidizing step of oxidizing surfaces of the plurality of objects to be processed in the atmosphere.