Atomic layer or cyclic plasma etching chemistries and processes to etch films are disclosed. Films include Si, Ti, Ta, W, Al, Pd, Ir, Co, Fe, B, Cu, Ni, Pt, Ru, Mn, Mg, Cr, Au, alloys thereof, oxides thereof, nitrides thereof, and combinations thereof.

The embodiments disclose a method of fabricating a stack, including replacing a metal layer of a stack imprint structure with an oxide layer, patterning the oxide layer stack using chemical etch processes to transfer the pattern image and cleaning etch residue from the stack imprint structure to substantially prevent contamination of the metal layers.

The embodiments disclose a method of fabricating a stack, including replacing a metal layer of a stack imprint structure with an oxide layer, patterning the oxide layer stack using chemical etch processes to transfer the pattern image and cleaning etch residue from the stack imprint structure to substantially prevent contamination of the metal layers.

A semiconductor device manufacturing method, wherein the etching apparatus used includes a sample loading chamber (15), a vacuum transition chamber (14), a reactive ion plasma etching chamber (10), an ion beam etching chamber (11), a film coating chamber (12), and a vacuum transport chamber (13). Without interrupting the vacuum, reactive ion etching is first adopted to etch to an isolation layer (102); then, ion beam etching is performed to etch into a fixed layer (101) and stopped near a bottom electrode metal layer (100), leaving only a small amount of the fixed layer (101); subsequently, reactive ion etching is adopted to etch to the bottom electrode metal layer (100); and finally, ion beam cleaning is performed to remove metal residues and sample surface treatment, and coating protection is performed.

An etching method includes: providing a substrate including a silicon oxide film on a stage; controlling a surface temperature of the substrate to be −70° C. or lower; and etching the silicon oxide film with plasma generated by supplying a radio-frequency power to a gas containing fluorine and hydrogen, after the controlling the surface temperature of the substrate; and increasing the surface temperature of the substrate to volatilize a by-product generated by the etching.

An etching method includes: providing a substrate including a silicon oxide film on a stage; controlling a surface temperature of the substrate to be −70° C. or lower; and etching the silicon oxide film with plasma generated by supplying a radio-frequency power to a gas containing fluorine and hydrogen, after the controlling the surface temperature of the substrate; and increasing the surface temperature of the substrate to volatilize a by-product generated by the etching.

A method of etching a copper (Cu) thin film and a Cu thin film prepared therefrom, the method including patterning a hard mask layer on the Cu thin film to form a hard mask on the Cu thin film; forming a plasma of a mixed gas, the mixed gas including an inert gas and an organic chelator material including an amine group, the mixed gas not including a halogen gas or a halide gas; and etching the Cu thin film through the hard mask using the plasma generated in the forming of the plasma of the mixed gas.

A method of etching a copper (Cu) thin film and a Cu thin film prepared therefrom, the method including patterning a hard mask layer on the Cu thin film to form a hard mask on the Cu thin film; forming a plasma of a mixed gas, the mixed gas including an inert gas and an organic chelator material including an amine group, the mixed gas not including a halogen gas or a halide gas; and etching the Cu thin film through the hard mask using the plasma generated in the forming of the plasma of the mixed gas.

Vapor deposition methods for depositing transition metal dichalcogenide (TMDC) films, such as rhenium sulfide thin films, are provided. In some embodiments TMDC thin films are deposited using a deposition cycle in which a substrate in a reaction space is alternately and sequentially contacted with a vapor phase transition metal precursor, such as a transition metal halide, a reactant comprising a reducing agent, such as NH.sub.3 and a chalcogenide precursor. In some embodiments rhenium sulfide thin films are deposited using a vapor phase rhenium halide precursor, a reducing agent and a sulfur precursor. The deposited TMDC films can be etched by chemical vapor etching using an oxidant such as O.sub.2 as the etching reactant and an inert gas such as N.sub.2 to remove excess etching reactant. The TMDC thin films may find use, for example, as 2D materials.

There is disclosed a vacuum table 400 comprising a vacuum plate 402 separating a first vacuum chamber 406 from a substrate zone 60 for receiving a substrate 50. The vacuum plate has a plurality of suction holes 404 for conveying a gas flow from the substrate zone 60 to the first vacuum chamber 406. There is an evacuation port 422 in communication with a second vacuum chamber 420 to evacuate gas from the substrate zone 60 when a substrate 50 is received over the suction holes 404 of the vacuum plate 402, and a vacuum port 424 for discharging gas received in the second vacuum chamber 420 to a vacuum source 423. The first vacuum chamber 406 and the second vacuum chamber 420 are in fluid communication via a valve 430 so that gas flows from the first vacuum chamber 406 to the vacuum port 424 via the second vacuum chamber 420. The valve 430 is controllable to vary a gas flow rate through the vacuum plate 402 and thereby vary a retaining force on a substrate 50 received thereon.