The present application provides a method for improving a pit defect formed after a copper electroplating process, comprising: forming a dielectric layer on a wafer; etching the dielectric layer to form a trench; forming a seed barrier layer on the surface of the trench; pre-cleaning the wafer to increase the wetness of the trench on the wafer; filling the trench with copper by means of electroplating; polishing the upper surface of the trench to planarize the upper surface of the trench. The wetness of the wafer surface can be increased by pre-cleaning a via. An excessively dry wafer surface leads to a poor wetness effect when the wafer enters water, a bubble is difficult to be discharged, a void is easy to be generated in electroplating. By the pre-cleaning step, the problem of a poor wetness effect occurring when the wafer enters water can be effectively improved.

Systems and methods may be used to produce coated components. Exemplary semiconductor chamber components may include an aluminum alloy comprising nickel and may be characterized by a surface. The surface may include a corrosion resistant coating. The corrosion resistant coating may include a conformal layer and a non-metal layer. The conformal layer may extend about the semiconductor chamber component. The non-metal oxide layer may extend over a surface of the conformal layer. The non-metal oxide layer may be characterized by an amorphous microstructure having a hardness of from about 300 HV to about 10,000 HV. The non-metal oxide layer may also be characterized by an sp.sup.2 to sp.sup.3 hybridization ratio of from about 0.01 to about 0.5 and a hydrogen content of from about 1 wt. % to about 35 wt. %.

Embodiments of the disclosure relate to methods for enlarging the opening width of substrate features by reducing the overhang of deposited films. Some embodiments of the disclosure utilize a high power bias pulse to etch the deposited film near the opening of the substrate feature. Some embodiments of the disclosure etch the deposited film without damaging the underlying substrate.

The present invention resides in the unifying idea of synchronizing a positive voltage pulse supplied to an electrically conductive or ferromagnetic tube and a exciting negative voltage pulse on a hollow cathode induced on the background of a high-frequency capacitive discharge. In one embodiment, the invention relates to a method of generating low-temperature plasma in a vacuum chamber comprising a hollow cathode and an electrode, the method comprising the step of igniting the pulsed DC discharge in the hollow cathode wherein the positive voltage pulse at least partially overlaps with the negative voltage pulse, and the positive voltage pulse at least partially overlaps with the negative voltage pulse on the hollow cathode. In another embodiment, the present invention relates to a method of coating the inner walls of hollow tubes which utilizes the above-mentioned low-temperature plasma generation process. In another embodiment, the invention relates to a low-temperature plasma generating device comprising a hollow cathode located in the vacuum chamber, a RF plasma source, a pulse DC burst source, and a bipolar pulse source. In another embodiment, an object of the invention is an apparatus adapted to coat the inner sides of hollow tubes comprising a low-temperature plasma generating device.

Described are methods for forming a multilayer conductive structure for semiconductor devices. A seed layer is formed comprising a metal and an additional constituent that in combination with the metal inhibits nucleation of a fill layer of the metal formed over the seed layer. Tungsten may be doped or alloyed with silicon to form the seed layer, with a tungsten fill being formed over the seed layer.

Provided are a low-price fuel cell separator with high corrosion resistance and a method for manufacturing the separator. The present disclosure relates to a fuel cell separator including a metal substrate and a titanium layer containing titanium formed on the metal substrate, and a method for manufacturing the separator. A ratio of a (100) plane to a sum of values obtained by dividing peak intensities of the (100) plane, a (002) plane, and a (101) plane derived from titanium in an X-ray diffraction analysis of a separator surface by respective relative intensities is a constant value or more.

Various embodiments herein relate to electrochromic devices, methods of fabricating electrochromic devices, and apparatus for fabricating electrochromic devices. In a number of cases, the electrochromic device may be fabricated to include a particular counter electrode material. The counter electrode material may include a base anodically coloring material. The counter electrode material may further include one or more halogens. The counter electrode material may also include one or more additives.

A magnetic-field-assisted plasma coating system and method are provided. In another aspect, a coating system employs a cathode with a linearly moveable magnetic field. A further aspect employs a workpiece as an anode within which is located an elongated cathode which internally coats a bore of the workpiece. Still another aspect of the present system and method employs an elongated and hollow cathode with at least one magnetic source therein. In yet another aspect, end caps or plates seal against one or more open ends of a workpiece bore to be coated, with a cathode inserted into the bore and a vacuum being created within the bore such that the workpiece itself defines at least a portion of a vacuum chamber.

Ion species are supplied to a workpiece comprising a pattern layer over a substrate. A material layer is deposited on the pattern layer using an implantation process of the ion species. In one embodiment, the deposited material layer has an etch selectivity to the pattern layer. In one embodiment, a trench is formed on the pattern layer. The trench comprises a bottom and a sidewall. The material layer is deposited into the trench using the ion implantation process. The material layer is deposited on the bottom of the trench in a direction along the sidewall.

A an apparatus includes a processing chamber configured to house a workpiece, a target holder in the processing chamber, a first magnetic element positioned over a backside of the target holder, a first arm assembly connected to the first magnetic element, a rotational shaft, and a first hinge mechanism connecting the rotational shaft and the first arm assembly.