A substrate processing apparatus includes a substrate processing unit and a controller. The substrate processing unit is configured to perform an etching processing on one or more substrates each having a silicon nitride film and a silicon oxide film on a surface thereof with a processing liquid containing a phosphoric acid aqueous solution and a silicic acid compound. The controller is configured to control individual components of the substrate processing apparatus. The controller includes a concentration control unit configured to control a phosphoric acid concentration of the processing liquid such that etching selectivity of the silicon nitride film with respect to the silicon oxide film falls within a given range from a beginning of the etching processing to an end thereof.

An embodiment relates to a method obtaining a silicon carbide wafer comprising a first conductivity type substrate and a first conductivity type drift layer, forming a second conductivity type first well region within the first conductivity type drift layer, forming a first conductivity type source region within the second conductivity type first well region, forming a second conductivity type plug region under the first conductivity type source region, forming a gate oxide layer, forming a patterned gate metal layer, depositing an interlevel dielectric (ILD) layer, forming a first patterned mask layer on top of the ILD layer, and etching the ILD layer and the first conductivity type source region using the first patterned mask layer, and forming a silicide layer, wherein the silicide layer is in contact with a vertical sidewall of the first conductivity type source region and at-least one second conductivity type region.

Described herein is a method of using a composition for selectively etching a silicon layer in the presence of a layer including a silicon germanium alloy, the composition including: (a) 4 to 15% by weight of an amine of formula (E1), and (b) water, where X.sup.E1, X.sup.E2, and X.sup.E3 are independently selected from a chemical bond and C.sub.1-C.sub.6 alkanediyl; Y.sup.E is selected from N, CR.sup.E1, and P; R.sup.E1 is selected from H and C.sub.1-C.sub.6 alkyl.

Implementations of a silicon-in-insulator (SOI) semiconductor die may include a first largest planar surface, a second largest planar surface and a thickness between the first largest planar surface and the second largest planar surface; and one of a permanent die support structure, a temporary die support structure, or any combination thereof coupled to one of the first largest planar surface, the second largest planar surface, the thickness, or any combination thereof. The first largest planar surface, the second largest planar surface, and the thickness may be included through a silicon layer coupled to a insulative layer.

This method of cleaning a semiconductor wafer can reliably reduce the LPD count on the wafer surface. The method includes a first step of measuring a contact angle of a surface of a semiconductor wafer under conditions in which a volume of a droplet dripped on the surface differs, a second step of calculating a ratio of change in a measured value of the contact angle to change in the volume of the droplet based on a relationship between the volume of the droplet and the measured value of the contact angle under the conditions, a third step of determining whether pretreatment is necessary for the semiconductor wafer surface based on the ratio, a fourth step of performing the pretreatment on the semiconductor wafer surface according to the determining in the third step, and a fifth step of subsequently performing single-wafer spin cleaning on the semiconductor wafer surface.

A silicon carbide semiconductor device includes an active region, a first-conductivity-type region, and a termination region. The active region has first second-conductivity-type regions and first silicide films in trenches, second second-conductivity-type regions and a second silicide film between the trenches that are adjacent to one another, and a first electrode while the termination region has a third second-conductivity-type region. The active region includes ohmic regions, non-operating regions and Schottky regions, each of which has a stripe shape. Each ohmic region is a region where the first electrode is in contact with either the first silicide film or the second silicide film. Each non-operating region is a region where the first electrode is in contact with either the first or second second-conductivity-type regions. Each Schottky region is a region where the first electrode forms a Schottky barrier junction with the first-conductivity-type region.

A method of splitting a semiconductor work piece includes: forming a separation zone within the semiconductor work piece, wherein forming the separation zone comprises modifying semiconductor material of the semiconductor work piece at a plurality of targeted positions within the separation zone in at least one physical property which increases thermo-mechanical stress within the separation zone relative to a remainder of the semiconductor work piece, wherein modifying the semiconductor material in one of the targeted positions comprises focusing at least two laser beams to the targeted position; and applying an external force or stress to the semiconductor work piece such that at least one crack propagates along the separation zone and the semiconductor work piece splits into two separate pieces. Additional work piece splitting techniques and techniques for compensating work piece deformation that occurs during the splitting process are also described.

Implementations of a semiconductor package may include a semiconductor die including a first side and a second side, the first side of the semiconductor die including one or more electrical contacts; and an organic material covering at least the first side of the semiconductor die. Implementations may include where the one or more electrical contacts extend through one or more openings in the organic material; a metal-containing layer coupled to the one or more electrical contacts; and one or more slugs coupled to one of a first side of the semiconductor die, a second side of the semiconductor die, or both the first side of the semiconductor die and the second side of the semiconductor die.

A semiconductor device includes an annular semiconductor fin over a semiconductor substrate, a first bottom source/drain structure within the annular semiconductor fin, a second bottom source/drain structure surrounding the annular semiconductor fin, a first silicide layer, a second silicide layer, a first gate structure, a second gate structure, a top source/drain structure, and a contact structure over the top source/drain structure. The first silicide layer and the second silicide layer are over the first bottom source/drain structure and the bottom second source/drain structure, respectively. The first gate structure and the second gate structure are over the first silicide layer and the second silicide layer, respectively. The contact structure includes a lower contact, a middle contact over the lower contact, and an upper contact over the middle contact. A width of the upper contact is greater than a width of the middle contact.

An etching method of supplying etching gases to a substrate to etch a surface of the substrate, includes a protection step of supplying amine gas to the substrate having an oxygen-containing silicon film to form a protective film for preventing etching by the etching gases on a surface of the oxygen-containing silicon film, for protecting the oxygen-containing silicon film, and a first etching step of supplying a first etching gas, which is one of the etching gases and is a fluorine-containing gas, and the amine gas to the substrate to etch the oxygen-containing silicon film.