A method for manufacturing a novel semiconductor device is provided. The method includes a first step of forming a first oxide semiconductor film over a substrate, a second step of heating the first oxide semiconductor film, and a third step of forming a second oxide semiconductor film over the first oxide semiconductor film. The first to third steps are performed in an atmosphere in which water vapor partial pressure is lower than water vapor partial pressure in atmospheric air, and the first step, the second step, and the third step are successively performed in this order.

A process that anneals a surface of a substrate bearing a coating includes running the substrate under a flash lamp emitting intense pulsed light and irradiating the coating with the pulsed light through a mask located between the flash lamp and the coating. A frequency of the flash lamp and a run speed of the substrate are adjusted so that each point of the coating to be annealed receives at least one light pulse. A distance between a lower face of the mask and the surface of the coating to be annealed is at most equal to 1 mm. A shape and extent of a slit in the mask are such that the mask occults the coating to be annealed in all zones where the light intensity that, in an absence of the mask, would arrive at the coating to be annealed is lower than a threshold light intensity.

Devices having an air bearing surface (ABS), the device including a near field transducer, the near field transducer having a peg and a disc, the peg having a region adjacent the ABS, the peg including a plasmonic material selected from gold (Au), silver (Ag), copper (Cu), ruthenium (Ru), rhodium (Rh), aluminum (Al), or combinations thereof; and at least one other secondary atom selected from germanium (Ge), tellurium (Te), aluminum (Al), antimony (Sb), tin (Sn), mercury (Hg), indium (In), zinc (Zn), iron (Fe), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), silver (Ag), chromium (Cr), cobalt (Co), and combinations thereof, wherein a concentration of the secondary atom is higher at the region of the peg adjacent the ABS than a concentration of the secondary atom throughout the bulk of the peg, and a method of forming NFT thereof.

A method for evaluating a semiconductor film of a semiconductor device which is configured to include an insulating film, the semiconductor film, and a conductive film and to have a region where the semiconductor film and the conductive film overlap with each other with the insulating film provided therebetween, includes a step of performing plasma treatment after formation of the insulating film, and a step of calculating a peak value of resistivity of a microwave in the semiconductor film by a microwave photoconductive decay method after the plasma treatment, so that the hydrogen concentration in the semiconductor film is estimated.

The disclosure describes techniques for forming nanoparticles including Fe.sub.16N.sub.2 phase. In some examples, the nanoparticles may be formed by first forming nanoparticles including iron, nitrogen, and at least one of carbon or boron. The carbon or boron may be incorporated into the nanoparticles such that the iron, nitrogen, and at least one of carbon or boron are mixed. Alternatively, the at least one of carbon or boron may be coated on a surface of a nanoparticle including iron and nitrogen. The nanoparticle including iron, nitrogen, and at least one of carbon or boron then may be annealed to form at least one phase domain including at least one of Fe.sub.16N.sub.2, Fe.sub.16(NB).sub.2, Fe.sub.16(NC).sub.2, or Fe.sub.16(NCB).sub.2.

A mask blank with phase shift film where changes in transmittance and phase shift to an exposure light of an ArF excimer laser are suppressed. The film transmits light of an ArF excimer laser at a transmittance of 2% or more and less than 10% and generates a phase difference of 150 degrees or more and 190 degrees or less between the exposure light transmitted through the phase shift film and the exposure light transmitted through the air for the same distance as a thickness of the phase shift film. The film has a stacked lower layer and upper layer, the lower layer containing metal and silicon and substantially free of oxygen. The upper layer containing metal, silicon, nitrogen, and oxygen. The lower layer is thinner than the upper layer, and the ratio of metal to metal and silicon of the upper layer is less than the lower layer.

A method of forming a hard mask includes depositing step for depositing a titanium nitride film on a surface of a to-be-processed object; adsorbing step for adsorbing oxygen-containing molecules onto a surface of the titanium nitride film; and heating step for heating the titanium nitride film to a predetermined temperature.

In a method of manufacturing a thin film transistor substrate, a first metal layer is formed on a first surface of a base substrate. The base substrate is cooled by contacting the first metal layer with a first cooling plate and by contacting a second surface of the base substrate with a second cooling plate. The first and second surfaces of the base substrate face opposite directions. A gate electrode is formed by patterning the first metal layer. A source electrode and a drain electrode are formed. The source electrode is spaced apart from the drain electrode. The source and drain electrodes partially overlap the gate electrode. A pixel electrode electrically connected to the drain electrode is formed.

A method of preparing silver nanoparticles, including silver nanorings. A zinc oxide thin film is formed initially by direct-current sputtering of a zinc target onto a substrate. A silver thin film is then formed by a similar sputtering technique, of a silver target onto the zinc oxide thin film. After that, the silver thin film is subject to an annealing treatment. The temperature, duration and atmosphere of the annealing treatment can be varied to control the average particle size, average distance between particles (density), particle size distribution of the silver nanoparticles. In at least one embodiment, silver nanoparticles of ring structure are produced.

Disclosed is a method for improving the high-temperature stability of a component, in particular a blade of a turbomachine, formed at least partially from a molybdenum alloy that, besides molybdenum, silicon, boron and titanium, comprises iron and/or yttrium. The method comprises depositing a diffusion barrier layer formed from technically pure molybdenum or tungsten or being an alloy based on molybdenum and/or tungsten at least on an outer surface, which comprises the molybdenum alloy, of the component, and depositing silicon on the diffusion barrier layer to form molybdenum silicides and/or tungsten silicides.