Representative implementations of techniques, methods, and formulary provide repairs to processed semiconductor substrates, and associated devices, due to erosion or dishing of a surface of the substrates. The substrate surface is etched until a preselected portion of one or more embedded interconnect devices protrudes above the surface of the substrate. The interconnect devices are wet etched with a selective etchant, according to a formulary, for a preselected period of time or until the interconnect devices have a preselected height relative to the surface of the substrate. The formulary includes one or more oxidizing agents, one or more organic acids, and glycerol, where the one or more oxidizing agents and the one or more organic acids are each less than 2% of formulary and the glycerol is less than 10% of the formulary.

Representative implementations of techniques, methods, and formulary provide repairs to processed semiconductor substrates, and associated devices, due to erosion or dishing of a surface of the substrates. The substrate surface is etched until a preselected portion of one or more embedded interconnect devices protrudes above the surface of the substrate. The interconnect devices are wet etched with a selective etchant, according to a formulary, for a preselected period of time or until the interconnect devices have a preselected height relative to the surface of the substrate. The formulary includes one or more oxidizing agents, one or more organic acids, and glycerol, where the one or more oxidizing agents and the one or more organic acids are each less than 2% of formulary and the glycerol is less than 10% of the formulary.

Methods, systems, and devices for memory arrays that use a conductive hard mask during formation and, in some cases, operation are described. A hard mask may be used to define features or components during the numerous material formation and removal steps used to create memory cells within a memory array. The hard mask may be an electrically conductive material, some or all of which may be retained during formation. A conductive line may be connected to each memory cell, and because the hard mask used in forming the cell may be conductive, the cell may be operable even if portions of the hard mask remain after formation.

Methods, systems, and devices for memory arrays that use a conductive hard mask during formation and, in some cases, operation are described. A hard mask may be used to define features or components during the numerous material formation and removal steps used to create memory cells within a memory array. The hard mask may be an electrically conductive material, some or all of which may be retained during formation. A conductive line may be connected to each memory cell, and because the hard mask used in forming the cell may be conductive, the cell may be operable even if portions of the hard mask remain after formation.

A method of processing a layer. The method may include providing the layer on a substrate, the substrate defining a substrate plane; directing an ion beam to an exposed surface of the layer in an ion exposure when the substrate is disposed in a first rotational position, the ion beam having a first ion trajectory, the first ion trajectory extending along a first direction, wherein the first ion trajectory forms a non-zero angle of incidence with respect to a perpendicular to the substrate plane; performing a rotation by rotating the substrate with respect to the ion beam about the perpendicular from the first rotational position to a second rotational position; and directing the ion beam to the exposed surface of the layer in an additional ion exposure along the first ion trajectory when the substrate is disposed in the second rotational position.

Methods are described herein for etching cobalt films which are difficult to volatize. The methods include exposing a cobalt film to a bromine or chlorine-containing precursor with a concurrent local plasma which applies a bias to the impinging etchants. Cobalt halide is formed on the surface at the same time an amorphized cobalt layer is formed near the surface. A carbon-and-nitrogen-containing precursor is later delivered to the substrate processing region to form volatile cobalt complexes which desorb from the surface of the cobalt film. Cobalt may be selectively removed. The concurrent production of cobalt halide and amorphized regions was found to markedly increase the overall etch rate and markedly improve surface smoothness upon exposure to the carbon-and-nitrogen-containing precursor. All the recited steps may now be performed in the same substrate processing chamber.

Methods, systems, and devices for memory arrays that use a conductive hard mask during formation and, in some cases, operation are described. A hard mask may be used to define features or components during the numerous material formation and removal steps used to create memory cells within a memory array. The hard mask may be an electrically conductive material, some or all of which may be retained during formation. A conductive line may be connected to each memory cell, and because the hard mask used in forming the cell may be conductive, the cell may be operable even if portions of the hard mask remain after formation.

Methods, systems, and devices for memory arrays that use a conductive hard mask during formation and, in some cases, operation are described. A hard mask may be used to define features or components during the numerous material formation and removal steps used to create memory cells within a memory array. The hard mask may be an electrically conductive material, some or all of which may be retained during formation. A conductive line may be connected to each memory cell, and because the hard mask used in forming the cell may be conductive, the cell may be operable even if portions of the hard mask remain after formation.

A method for depositing a dielectric film in a trench by plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) includes depositing a dielectric film in a trench of a substrate by PEALD under conditions wherein the wet etch rate of the depositing film on a top surface of the substrate is substantially equivalent to or higher than the wet etch rate of the depositing film at a sidewall of the trench, wherein a precursor fed into the reaction space has N(CH.sub.3).sub.2 as a functional group.

Single crystal silicon carbide epitaxial layer on an off-axis substrate are manufactured by placing the substrate in an epitaxial growth reactor, growing a first layer of epitaxial silicon carbide on the substrate, interrupting the growth of the first layer of epitaxial silicon carbide, etching the first layer of epitaxial silicon carbide to reduce the thickness of the first layer, and regrowing a second layer of epitaxial silicon carbide on the first layer of epitaxial silicon carbide. Carrot defects may be terminated by the process of interrupting the epitaxial growth process, etching the grown layer and regrowing a second layer of epitaxial silicon carbide. The growth interruption/etching/regrowth may be repeated multiple times. A silicon carbide epitaxial layer has at least one carrot defect that is terminated within the epitaxial layer. A semiconductor stricture includes an epitaxial layer of silicon carbide on an off-axis silicon carbide substrate, and a carrot defect having a nucleation point in the vicinity of an interface between the substrate and the epitaxial layer and is terminated within the epitaxial layer.