Abstract: A method for depositing a film on a substrate by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition at temperatures substantially lower than conventional thermal CVD temperatures comprises placing a substrate within a reaction chamber and exciting a first gas upstream of the substrate to generate activated radicals of the first gas. The substrate is rotated within the deposition chamber to create a pumping action which draws the gas mixture of first gas radicals to the substrate surface. A second gas is supplied proximate the substrate to mix with the activated radicals of the first gas and the mixture produces a surface reaction at the substrate to deposit a film. The pumping action draws the gas mixture down to the substrate surface in a laminar flow to reduce recirculation and radical recombination such that a sufficient amount of radicals are available at the substrate surface to take part in the surface reaction.

Abstract: A plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition process for depositing conformal silicon oxide thin films useful to make thin film transistors which have stable electrical properties and low charge centers onto a substrate comprising flowing a precursor gas mixture of silane and nitrous oxide, the latter at a high rate, at a pressure of at least about 0.8 torr and a temperature of from about 250.degree. to 350.degree. C. The effective volume of the reaction region between the gas manifold inlet and the substrate during processing is kept small.

Abstract: Provided is a process for efficiently forming a high-quality deposited film at a high deposition rate in the quality equivalent to or higher than that of films formed by the RF plasma CVD process. A stock gas is introduced under a reduced pressure into a reaction container provided with a cathode electrode inside and a high-frequency power in the range of 50 to 300 MHz is supplied to the cathode electrode, whereby ions of the stock gas with energy of 40 or more eV are made to hit against a substrate, thereby forming a deposited film thereon.

Abstract: A process for the production of a carrier for surface plasmon resonance analysis comprising:A) depositing a preparatory layer on a surface, said preparatory layer comprising a metal selected from the group consisting of: nickel, titanium and chromium, wherein said preparatory layer is substantially uniform and has a thickness of 20-40 Angstroms,B) depositing a silver layer on said preparatory layer wherein said silver layer is substantially uniform and has a thickness of 500-600 Angstroms, andC) said carrier is suitable for surface plasmon resonance analysis.

Abstract: An SiO.sub.2 passivation film is formed on a surface of a substrate made of a plastic material by plasma chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process in which organic oxysilane is used as a raw gas. Instead of a reactive gas having an ashing effect, Ar, He or NH.sub.3 is used as a reactive gas which serves as an auxiliary for decomposing the raw gas at a temperature not greater than a temperature at which the substrate is thermally deformed (i.e., about 250.degree. C.). The ashing of the substrate by oxygen or hydrogen radicals is thus prevented.

Abstract: An adhering, continuous diamond film of optical or semiconductor quality is deposited on a substrate by forming on the substrate a layer of a nitride and then depositing diamond on the nitride without mechanical treatment or seeding of the substrate or the nitride. A substrate of silicon or silicon carbide has been used by depositing a layer of silicon dioxide directly on the substrate and then directly depositing the nitride layer on the silicon dioxide. A polycrystalline diamond film has been deposited by heating the substrate and nitride layer in a vacuum chamber containing a microwave activated mixture of hydrogen and a gas including carbon with the nitride being a refractory nitride to withstand the temperature at which the diamond is deposited. Deposition of the diamond is facilitated by adding oxygen to the mixture after a sufficient thickness of diamond is deposited to protect the nitride layer from oxidation.

Abstract: The present invention provides a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition method and apparatus for reducing the hydrogen concentration in amorphous silicon carbide films deposited on a substrate. The process combines a noble gas such as helium with a silicon source such as silane and a carbon source such as methane in the reaction zone of a CVD chamber. The resulting silicon carbide films have a low concentration of hydrogen and high compressive stress. The films are preferably produced with a plasma generated by a mixture of high and low radio frequency.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a novel method for the plasma assisted high vacuum vapor coating of parts with wear resistant coatings where the method comprises at least the process steps heating and conditioning and where the process step conditioning comprises heating. A protective gas is used for the heating. It is circulated at a pressure of at least 0.01 bar. Significant advantages are realized over state of the art methods using radiation heating. The method is preferentially carried out in an apparatus conceived for it, which comprises a blower (3), protective shields (8) and gas flow management sheets(9).

Abstract: A thin film forming method which comprises the steps of supporting a substrate to be treated, having a trench or an unevenness thereon, in a reaction vessel; introducing a reactive gas into the reaction vessel; activating the reactive gas to form a deposit species, the deposit species characterized by a phase diagram including a liquid phase region defined by a melting curve and an evaporation curve that intersect at a triple point; and forming a thin film containing at least a part of the deposit species on the substrate while retaining a pressure of the deposit species in the reaction vessel higher than the triple point of the phase diagram of the deposit species, and retaining a temperature of the substrate within the liquid phase region of the phase diagram of the deposit species.

Abstract: In accordance with the invention, a method of depositing substituted fluorocarbon polymeric layers exhibiting a high degree of cross-linking is presented. The substituted fluorocarbon polymeric layers are formed of substituted fluorocarbon polymers in which the carbon functionality in standard fluorocarbon polymers is selectively replaced with a substitute functionality, typically silicon, oxygen or nitrogen. Formation of a substituted fluorocarbon polymeric layer includes placing a substrate into a reactor and, while maintaining the reactor pressure below 100 torr, introducing a process gas into the reactor. Optionally, the substrate is biased. The process gas is then ionized thereby depositing the substituted fluorocarbon polymeric layer on the substrate.

Abstract: A process for reducing intrinsic stress and/or hydrogen content of a SiO.sub.x film grown by ECR chemical vapor deposition, wherein a vapor phase etchant is introduced while growing the silicon dioxide film. The presence of the etchant during the plasma deposition process allows for selective removal of high energy silicon dioxide molecules in the growing film thus reducing intrinsic stress within the film. The use of halogen etchants further reduces the amount of hydrogen present as hydroxyl within the film.

Abstract: In a method of and an apparatus for forming a thin film on a substrate, a rotary electrode is provided and rotated so that an electrode surface of the electrode moves and passes by a substrate surface due to the rotation of the electrode. Thereby a reaction gas is supplied into a gap between the substrate surface and the electrode surface. A high-frequency power is applied or dc power to the rotary electrode thereby generating a plasma between the substrate surface and the electrode surface, for forming the thin film by chemical reaction of the reaction gas supplied into the plasma.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for producing crystallographic oriented oxide thin films having an NaCl-type structure, a spinel structure or a Wurtzite structure used as a buffer layer to obtain a functional oxide thin film such as a superconductive oxide thin film and a ferroelectric thin film, and a chemical vapor deposition apparatus used therefor. A rotatable substrate holder is provided in a reaction chamber. The substrate holder, which holds substrates thereunder, includes a substrate heater. The substrate holder is grounded to provide an electrode. Another electrode, which is connected to a high frequency power source, is located opposing the substrate holder in the reaction chamber. At a side wall of the reaction chamber, an exhaust is arranged. In a plasma electric discharge area formed between the substrate holder and the electrode, a material gas supplier is located, having a predetermined tilt angle .theta. with respect to the substrate holder.

Abstract: Diamondlike carbon is deposited on a deposition substrate in a deposition apparatus that can be evacuated and backfilled with a carbonaceous gas. A plasma is generated in the gas by heating a filament within the chamber to produce electrons, and positively biasing the filament with respect to the deposition chamber wall to accelerate the electrons into the carbonaceous gas. The carbonaceous gas dissociates and ionizes in the resulting plasma to produce positively charged carbon ions. A deposition substrate within the chamber is negatively biased with respect to the deposition chamber wall, accelerating the carbon ions so that they are deposited onto the surface of the substrate.

Abstract: A method for blending fluorine into a polyimide free of fluorine comprises the steps of generating fluorine radicals in a fluorine based gas, removal of any charge particles from the gas to leave the fluorine radicals in the gas, and exposing a polyimide free of fluorine to an irradiation of the fluorine radicals so that the irradiated fluorine radicals penetrate into an inside of the polyimide without showing any reaction to the removed charge particles on a surface of the polyimide.

Abstract: In a plasma processing apparatus having an upper electrode and a lower electrode in a vacuum chamber, a substrate receiving face of the lower electrode is formed to have a same convex surface as a deflected face of a substrate on condition that surface of the substrate is freely supported on an circumference thereof, and a uniform pressure is applied to the back of the substrate.

Abstract: A vacuum metallized polyimide film comprising an aromatic polyimide layer containing a hydrocarbyl tin compound in oxidation states (II) or (IV) as an additive and a metal plated layer bonded integrally with a high bonding strength or high adhesion through a vacuum deposited metal layer without the use of an adhesive. The metallized polyimide film can be used for flexible printed circuits and multilayer printed wiring boards, as well as for heaters, antennas and antistatic films.

Abstract: Chemical vapor deposition of titanium metal is accomplished by forming a liquid solution of titanium tetrabromide in bromine, vaporizing the solution and contacting the vapor mixture with a plasma in the vicinity of a substrate. These titanium films show good conformality, low electrical resistance and are suitable as contact and adhesion layers in semiconductor microelectronics. By mixing ammonia gas with the mixed vapors of titanium tetrabromide and bromine, films containing titanium nitride are deposited at about 400.degree. C. These titanium nitride films are suitable as diffusion barriers and adhesion layers in semiconductor devices.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a plasma treating apparatus, for generating plasma in a dielectric container and for treating the surface of a substrate with the plasma generated, which includes a hot air heating system for heating the dielectric container by blowing hot air to a central location on the outside surface of the dielectric container.The present invention is further directed to a plasma treating method for generating plasma in a dielectric container and for,treating the surface of a substrate with the plasma generated which includes hot air heating for heating the dielectric container by blowing hot air to the outside surface of the dielectric container to a temperature at which a thin film does not deposit on the inside surface of the dielectric container.

Abstract: A method of and apparatus for depositing a silicon oxide layer onto a wafer or substrate is provided. The present method includes introducing into a processing chamber a process gas including silicon, oxygen, boron, phosphorus and germanium to form a germanium doped BPSG oxide layer having a reflow temperature of less than 800.degree. C. Preferred embodiments of the present method are performed in either a subatmospheric CVD or a plasma enhanced CVD processing apparatus.

Abstract: Composite films consisting of diamond crystallites and hard amorphous films such as diamond-like carbon, titanium nitride, and titanium oxide are provided as protective coatings for metal substrates against extremely harsh environments. A composite layer having diamond crystallites and a hard amorphous film is affixed to a metal substrate via an interlayer including a bottom metal silicide film and a top silicon carbide film. The interlayer is formed either by depositing metal silicide and silicon carbide directly onto the metal substrate, or by first depositing an amorphous silicon film, then allowing top and bottom portions of the amorphous silicon to react during deposition of the diamond crystallites, to yield the desired interlayer structure.

Abstract: A method is described for grading the electrical field at the surface of an electrode by depositing a semiconductive coating thereon. An electrode substrate is powered at a preselected temperature and power. A mixture of gases is then passed through an electrical discharge to ionize at least a portion thereof to form the semiconductive coating on the surface of the electrode. Also described is the plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition of a diamondlike carbon (DLC) film onto a substrate. A substrate is maintained at a preselected DLC forming temperature and is negatively biased at a first preselected voltage. A first gaseous mixture of hydrocarbons and argon is then passed through an electrical discharge to at least partially ionize the hydrocarbons to form DLC film on the substrate. The substrate is then negatively biased at a second preselected voltage lower than the first preselected voltage.

Abstract: A method for chemical vapor deposition onto high aspect ratio features. Process gases including a reactant species are supplied to the surface and sufficient primary energy is supplied to the surface so as to cause the reactant species to deposit on the surface. Additional energy is supplied, preferably in the form of optical energy, that is tuned to be captured by the patterned features so as to slow the deposition rate preferentially on the patterned features.

Abstract: A method of forming boron-doped diamond film by, chemical vapor deposition (CVD) utilizing two-component system reactant gas doped with trimethyl borate.

Abstract: The subject is a plasma-enhanced CVD process for depositing a silicon oxide film on a substrate by using an organosilicon compound such as tetraethoxysilane and oxygen or ozone as the essential reactants. The disclosed CVD method uses a plasma containing oxygen ions, and the density of oxygen ions impinging on the substrate surface is cyclically decreased and increased with a short period such as, e.g., 1 sec. In extreme cases which are rather preferable, the effect of the oxygen plasma is cyclically nullified and returned to a maximum to thereby alternate plasma CVD and plain thermal CVD. The obtained film is comparable in film properties to silicon oxide films deposited by known plasma CVD methods and, when the substrate has steps such as aluminum wiring lines, is better in step coverage and gap filling capability. The film exhibits a still better profile when hydrogen peroxide gas or an alternative hydrogen containing gas is added to the reactant gas mixture.

Abstract: A thin film forming method which comprises the steps of supporting a substrate to be treated, having a trench or an unevenness thereon, in a reaction vessel; introducing a reactive gas into the reaction vessel; activating the reactive gas to form a deposit species, the deposit species characterized by a phase diagram including a liquid phase region defined by a melting curve and an evaporation curve that intersect at a triple point; and forming a thin film containing at least a part of the deposit species on the substrate while retaining a pressure of the deposit species in the reaction vessel higher than the triple point of the phase diagram of the deposit species, and retaining a temperature of the substrate within the liquid phase region of the phase diagram of the deposit species.

Abstract: A layer of amorphous silicon containing H, preferably 10-40 atomic % H, which is used as a photoconductive layer for electrophotographic photosensitive member, is formed by plasma CVD using a silane gas of a higher than monosilane.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing an amorphous silicon thin film exhibiting excellent quality for use in a TFT, a photosensor or a solar cell at a low cost by a plasma CVD method utilizing high frequency discharge, the method being consisting of steps of using a silicon compound such as SiH.sub.4 as raw material gas, making the frequency f (MHz) of a high frequency power source to be 30 MHz or higher, and applying negative voltage to an electrode of a substrate if necessary. Furthermore, it is preferably that the relationship between the distance d (cm) between electrodes and the frequency f (MHz) of the high frequency power source satisfies f(HMz)/d (cm)<30 HMz/cm.

Abstract: A CVD process of forming a hydrogenated amorphous silicon film comprising not more than 40 atomic percent of hydrogen atoms is disclosed, which comprises introducing a silicon-containing gas and a gas containing impurity for controlling conductivity of said film into a film-forming space, wherein the concentration of the gas containing the impurity is controlled during film formation to vary the content of the impurity in the thickness direction of the amorphous silicon film.

Abstract: A plasma CVD method adapted to a roll-to-roll process or the like wherein the change rate of the temperature of the substrate before and after an i-type semiconductor layer is deposited is made rapid so as to prevent diffusion of impurities occurring due to annealing, by constituting the apparatus structure in such a manner that the deposited film is formed on an elongated substrate by the plasma CVD method while heating the elongated substrate moving in an i-layer forming discharge chamber at a rate of 4.degree. C./second or higher immediately in front of an inlet to the discharge chamber and cooling the same at a rate of 4.degree. C./second or higher immediately at the outlet of the discharge chamber so that a stacked-layer type photovoltaic device having a large area and free from scattering of the characteristics is continuously formed without deterioration of the characteristics occurring due to dopant diffusion.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an improved method of depositing a diamond-like carbon film onto a substrate by low temperature plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) from a hydrocarbon/helium plasma. More specifically, the diamond-like carbon films of the present invention are deposited onto the substrate by employing acetylene which is heavily diluted with helium as the plasma gas. The films formed using the process of the present invention are characterized as being amorphous and having dielectric strengths comparable to those normally observed for diamond films. More importantly, however is that the films produced herein are thermally stable, optically transparent, absorbent in the ultraviolet range and hard thus making them extremely desirable for a wide variety of applications.

Abstract: Uniform electrically conducting multicomponent material is deposited on an electrically conducting substrate by means of a PCVD method. A plasma, for example a glow discharge plasma, a high frequency plasma or a microwave plasma is generated in a reaction space. The plasma is periodically reciprocated. Starting materials for the single components of the multicomponent material are added to a flowing gas phase. To obtain multicomponent material of the desired composition, the flowing gas phase is split into at least two flowing gas phases each comprising only starting materials for a single component of the multicomponent material. The separate gas phases are time sequentially applied to the plasma. The deposited multicomponent material may be subjected to a thermal treatment.

Abstract: A process is disclosed for curing a hydrogen silsesquioxane coating material to form SiO.sub.2 by first placing the coating material in a preheated furnace; igniting a plasma ignited in the furnace immediately after insertion of the coating material therein; then raising the temperature of the furnace up to a predetermined curing temperature, while still maintaining the plasma in the chamber; maintaining the coating material at the curing temperature until substantially all of the coating material has cured to form SiO.sub.2 ; and then extinguishing the plasma and cooling the furnace. In another embodiment, the coating material is cured, with or without the assistance of heat and a plasma, in an ultrahigh vacuum, i.e., a vacuum of at least 10.sup.-5 Torr or better, and preferably at least 10.sup.-6 Torr or better.

Abstract: A multilayer structure has a selectable, (i) propagating reaction front velocity V, (ii) reaction initiation temperature attained by application of external energy and (iii) amount of energy delivered by a reaction of alternating unreacted layers of the multilayer structure. Because V is selectable and controllable, a variety of different applications for the multilayer structures are possible, including but not limited to their use as ignitors, in joining applications, in fabrication of new materials, as smart materials and in medical applications and devices. The multilayer structure has a period D, and an energy release rate constant K. Two or more alternating unreacted layers are made of different materials and separated by reacted zones. The period D is equal to a sum of the widths of each single alternating reaction layer of a particular material, and also includes a sum of reacted zone widths, t.sub.i, in the period D.

Abstract: A VHF plasma CVD process in which a cathode electrode is electrically divided into a plurality of elements in the axial direction of a cylindrical substrate, and a very-high-frequency energy with a frequency in the range of 60 MHz to 300 MHz is supplied to each of the divided cathode electrode elements by way of a high frequency power supply means for generating a plasma in a reaction chamber thereby forming a deposited film; and a VHF plasma CVD apparatus suitable for carrying out the VHF plasma process.

Abstract: A plasma CVD process comprises conducting film formation in a reaction chamber capable of being substantially vacuumed in which a plurality of cylindrical substrates are spacedly arranged on a concentric circle in said reaction chamber such that a desired discharge space is formed at the central position of the inside of said reaction chamber and a cathode electrode is disposed at the central position of said discharge space, by introducing a film-forming gas into said discharge space and applying a high frequency power from a high frequency power source to said cathode electrode to produce plasma between said plurality of cylindrical substrates and said cathode electrode, whereby forming a deposited film on the surface of each of said plurality of cylindrical substrates, characterized in that an earth shield comprising a non-magnetic material and a soft magnetic material or an insulating material being stacked is disposed at each of the opposite end portions of said cathode electrode, and a very-high-frequen

Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus for evaporation of a vacuum evaporatable material onto a substrate, said apparatus comprising (a) a walled container for the vacuum evaporatable material having a plurality of apertures in a surface thereof, said apertures being configured so that the vacuum evaporatable material is uniformly deposited onto the substrate; and (b) a source of heat sufficient to effect evaporation of the vacuum evaporatable material from the container through the apertures onto the substrate, wherein the surface of the container having the plurality of apertures therein is maintained at a temperature equal to or greater than the temperature of the vacuum evaporatable material.

Abstract: A method of fabricating high quality layered structure oxide ferroelectric thin films. The deposition process is a chemical vapor deposition process involving chemical reaction between volatile metal organic compounds of various elements comprising the layered structure material to be deposited, with other gases in a reactor, to produce a nonvolatile solid that deposits on a suitably placed substrate such as a conducting, semiconducting, insulating, or complex integrated circuit substrate. The source materials for this process may include organometallic compounds such as alkyls, alkoxides, .beta.-diketonates or metallocenes of each individual element comprising the layered structure material to be deposited and oxygen. Preferably, the reactor in which the deposition is done is either a hot wall or a cold wall reactor and the vapors are introduced into this reactor either through a set of bubblers or through a direct liquid injection system.

Abstract: This invention is directed to a process for providing a hard, transparent, hydrophobic film of hydrogenated boron nitride on a substrate and the film so made. The process comprises depositing the film condensation from a flux of ions generated from gaseous precursors comprising borazine, the kinetic energy of the ions being between 50 and 300 electron volts per ion. Preferably the process is plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition carried out in a radio frequency plasma system.

Abstract: A composite body, especially for use as a cutting tool, for the lining of combustion chambers or for movable parts intended to have low wear which has a substrate of hard metal, steel, cermet or nickel or cobalt alloy. The substrate is provided with at least one fine-crystalline alpha-Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 layer deposited by plasma activated CVD at 400.degree. to 750.degree. C. With plasma activation by pulsed direct voltage with the substrate connected as the cathode.

Abstract: In order to decompose TiCl.sub.4 to Ti and Cl completely, extremely high energy of more than 400 kcal mol.sup.-1 is required.In the method according to the present invention, use of unequilibrium plasma under reduced pressure is noticed, and it is especially noticed that in the plasma generated by resonance phenomenon, there are high energy electrons, which collide and enhance decomposition and reduction. Therefore, itis possible to form a Ti film without such high substrate temperature as 2000.degree. C., and more, to form a Tifilm with good step coverage even in a fine contact hole.

Abstract: Wear-resistant titanium nitride coatings onto cast iron and other carbon-containing materials is enhanced by means of a new surface preparation and deposition process. The conventional pre-deposition surface cleaning by Ar.sup.+ ion bombardment is replaced by a hydrogen-ion bombardment process which cleans the substrate surface by chemical reaction with minimal sputtering and simultaneously removes graphite present on the cast iron surface. Removal of the graphite significantly improves the wear resistance of titanium nitride, since the presence of graphite causes initiation of wear at those sites. Hydrogen ion bombardment or electron bombardment may be used to heat the substrate to a chosen temperature. Finally, titanium nitride is deposited by reactive sputtering with simultaneous bombardment of high-flux Ar.sup.+ ions from an independently generated dense plasma.

Abstract: For making an SiO.sub.2 electret, a layer of SiO.sub.2 is formed on a solid substrate (5) by chemical vapor deposition in a vapor phase starting from a plasma containing silicon and oxygen and the layer so formed (10) is subjected to a thermal treatment by raising its temperature to above 100.degree. C. during a time period longer than 1 hour, before being electrically charged.

Abstract: An optical waveguide is disclosed with a substantially planar substrate and a waveguide layer applied to the substrate. The invention resides in that the substrate consists of a synthetic resin or of a material having a high organic proportion. This has the advantage that the high index of refraction of the inorganic waveguide layer is combined with the material properties of the synthetic resin substrate, such as, for example, breaking resistance, plastic and thermoplastic moldability, photochemical structuring ability, and others.

Abstract: A substrate-heating mechanism has a heat source for heating a substrate for heating a substrate face side reverse to a film formation face in a film deposition on the film formation surface of the substrate held on a substrate holder in a vacuum chamber, the mechanism comprises a second vacuum chamber for maintaining vacuum the substrate face reverse to the film formation face.

Abstract: A method of fabricating high quality layered structure oxide ferroelectric thin films. The deposition process is a chemical vapor deposition process involving chemical reaction between volatile metal organic compounds of various elements comprising the layered structure material to be deposited, with other gases in a reactor, to produce a nonvolatile solid that deposits on a suitably placed substrate such as a conducting, semiconducting, insulating, or complex integrated circuit substrate. The source materials for this process may include organometallic compounds such as alkyls, alkoxides, .beta.-diketonates or metallocenes of each individual element comprising the layered structure material to be deposited and oxygen. Preferably, the reactor in which the deposition is done is either a hot wall or a cold wall reactor and the vapors are introduced into this reactor either through a set of bubblers or through a direct liquid injection system.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for the production of polycrystalline silicon thin films characterized by performing heat treatment of amorphous silicon thin films deposited on a substrate at a relatively low temperature of between 300.degree. and 600.degree. C. under a pressure ranging from 10.sup.-3 to 1 torr. The method can provide polycrystalline silicon thin films having increased grain sizes of about 60-300 .mu.m. In accordance with the method, glass or ceramic substrates can be used instead of an expensive quartz substrate. SiH.sub.4 gas can also be used instead of Si.sub.2 H.sub.6 gas as a source gas. The polycrystalline silicon thin films disclosed have an electron and positive hole mobility closer to that of the level of single crystals, and thus the development of the SOI element having high performance such as TFT for LCD, or TFT for SRAM, and the like may be greatly advanced.

Abstract: Applicants have discovered that gallium arsenide surfaces can be dry passivated without heating or ion bombardment by exposing them downstream to ammonia plasma formation. Specifically, a workpiece having exposed gallium arsenide surfaces is passivated by placing the workpiece in an evacuable chamber, evacuating in the chamber, generating an ammonia plasma removed from the immediate vicinity of the workpiece, and causing the plasma products to flow downstream into contact with the workpiece. Preferably the plasma gas pressure is 0.5 to 6.0 Torr, the substrate temperature is less than 100.degree. C. and the time of exposure is in excess of 5 min. The plasma should be generated at a location sufficiently removed from the workpiece that the workpiece surface is not bombarded with ions capable of damaging the surface (more than about 10 cm) and sufficiently close to the workpiece that reactive plasma products exist in the flow (within about 30 cm).

Abstract: A hard multilayer film structure comprises a titanium-containing compound layer possessing high wear resistance deposited on a substrate and a silicon-containing hard carbon layer possessing self-lubricating properties, high wear resistance and high resistance to heat. Deposition of these layers is effected by the plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition technique. As a raw gas for the deposition of silicon-containing hard carbon-layer, the gas containing tetramethyl silane or tetraethyl silane is used. Deposition of the silicon-containing hard carbon layer is carried out at a temperature of not more than 550.degree. C. and a pressure in the range of 0.05 to 0.5 Torr.

Abstract: A low-pressure chemical vapor deposition process is disclosed for creating high-density, highly-conformal titanium nitride films which have very low bulk resistivity, and which provide excellent step coverage. The process utilizes a metal-organic compound, tetrakis-dialkylamido-titanium Ti(NR.sub.2).sub.4, as the primary precursor, in combination with an activated species which attacks the alkyl-nitrogen bonds of the primary precursor, and which will convert the displaced alkyl groups into a volatile compound. Any noble gas, as well as nitrogen or hydrogen, or a mixture of two or more of the foregoing may be used as a carrier for the precursor. The activated species, which may include a halogen, NH.sub.3, or hydrogen radicals, or a combination thereof, are generated in the absence of the primary precursor, at a location remote from the deposition chamber. The wafer is heated to a temperature within a range of 200.degree.-600.degree. C.