Abstract:
Methods and related apparatus for depositing an ashable hard mask (AHM) on a substrate include pulsing a low frequency radio frequency component at a high power. Pulsing low frequency power may be used to increase the selectivity or reduce the stress of an AHM. The AHM may then be used to etch features into underlying layers of the substrate.
Abstract:
Systems for depositing materials and related methods are described. The systems allow condensing or depositing a precursor on a substrate, and then curing condensed or deposited precursor to form a layer.
Abstract:
A method and apparatus for equalized plasma coupling is provided herein. Discontinuity marks, also known as golf tee mura, are eliminated or minimized by biasing or grounding lift pins disposed in openings towards the center of a substrate support. To prevent shorting between a biased or grounded lift pin and the substrate support, lift pins are electrically isolated from the substrate support. The electrical isolation of the lift pin includes coating the lift pins with an electrically insulating material or lining a respective substrate support opening with an electrically insulating material.
Abstract:
A method of treating particles by disaggregating, deagglomerating, exfoliating, cleaning, functionalizing, doping, decorating and/or repairing said particles, in which the particles are subjected to plasma treatment in a treatment chamber containing a plurality of electrodes which project therein and wherein plasma is generated by said electrodes which are moved during the plasma treatment to agitate the particles.
Abstract:
Diamond is grown on a substrate (S) from a mixture of a carbon-containing gas and hydrogen gas, by a DC plasma enhanced CVD process of applying a DC voltage between a stage electrode (12) for holding the substrate (S) and a voltage-applying electrode (13). During the step of growing diamond by applying a DC voltage, a single pulse voltage of opposite polarity to the DC voltage for diamond growth is applied between the stage electrode and the voltage-applying electrode at a predetermined timing. Diamond of quality is produced at a stable growth rate.
Abstract:
One object is to provide a structure including a thin primer film formed by a dry process and tightly bound to a fluorine-containing silane coupling agent. In accordance with one aspect, a structure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes: a substrate; and a thin primer film containing at least one substance selected from the group consisting of silicon, titanium, aluminum, aluminum oxide, and zirconium and formed on a surface of the substrate by a dry process.
Abstract:
Microwave plasma assisted reactors, for example chemical vapor deposition (MPCVD) reactors, are disclosed. The disclosed reactors operate at high pressures (>180-320 Torr) and high power densities (>150 W/cm3), and thereby enable high deposition rate CVD processes that rapidly deposit materials. In particular, reactor design examples are described that, when operating in the 180-320 Torr pressure regime, rapidly CVD synthesize high quality polycrystalline (PCD) and single crystal diamond (SCD). The improved reactors include a radial contraction in the vicinity of the plasma chamber (and optionally a combined expansion in the vicinity of the electromagnetic wave source, followed by the contraction) in the main microwave chamber as electromagnetic energy propagates from an electromagnetic wave source to a plasma/deposition chamber.
Abstract:
Diamond is grown on a substrate (S) from a mixture of a carbon-containing gas and hydrogen gas, by a DC plasma enhanced CVD process of applying a DC voltage between a stage electrode (12) for holding the substrate (S) and a voltage-applying electrode (13). During the step of growing diamond by applying a DC voltage, a single pulse voltage of opposite polarity to the DC voltage for diamond growth is applied between the stage electrode and the voltage-applying electrode at a predetermined timing. Diamond of quality is produced at a stable growth rate.
Abstract:
Methods and apparatus for processing semiconductor substrates are described. A processing chamber includes a substrate support with an in-situ plasma source, which may be an inductive, capacitive, microwave, or millimeter wave source, facing the substrate support and a radiant heat source, which may be a bank of thermal lamps, spaced apart from the substrate support. The support may be between the in-situ plasma source and the radiant heat source, and may rotate. A method or processing a substrate includes forming an oxide layer by exposing the substrate to a plasma generated in a process chamber, performing a plasma nitridation process on the substrate in the chamber, thermally treating the substrate using a radiant heat source disposed in the chamber while exposing the substrate to oxygen radicals formed outside the chamber, and forming an electrode by exposing the substrate to a plasma generated in the chamber.
Abstract:
Embodiments of the present invention provide a method and apparatus for plasma processing a substrate to form a film on the substrate and devices disposed thereon by controlling the ratio of ions to radicals in the plasma at a given pressure. A given pressure may be maintained to promote ion production using one plasma source, and a second plasma source may be used to provide additional radicals. In one embodiment, a low pressure plasma is generated in a processing region having the substrate positioned therein, and a high pressure plasma is generated in separate region. Radicals from the high pressure plasma are injected into the processing region having the low pressure plasma, thus, altering the natural distribution of radicals to ions at a given operating pressure. The resulting process and apparatus enables tailoring of the ion to radical ratio to allow better control of forming films on high aspect ratio features, and thus improve corner rounding, conformality of sidewall to bottom trench growth, and selective growth.