A method of fabricating transition metal dichalcogenides includes a preparing step, a steaming step and a depositing step. The preparing step is performed for providing a transition metal substrate, a reactive gas and a solid chalcogenide. The steaming step is performed for heating the solid chalcogenide to generate a chalcogenide gas in a steaming space. The depositing step is performed for introducing the reactive gas into the chalcogenide gas to ionize the chalcogenide gas so as to generate a chalcogenide plasma in a depositing space. The depositing step is performed under a process vacuum pressure from low vacuum pressure to atmospheric pressure. The reactive gas and the chalcogenide gas are flowed from top to bottom through a top of the transition metal substrate. The loading substrate is heated at a loading substrate temperature, and the steaming space is different from the depositing space.

The present invention relates to a functionalized substrate comprising a substrate (10) and a near infrared absorbing coating (20), wherein said near infrared absorbing coating (20) comprises near infrared absorbing nanoparticles (21) comprising indium, tin, zinc, antimony, aluminum, tungsten or mixtures thereof. In an embodiment, the near infrared absorbing coating (20) further includes an inorganic matrix (22, 23, 24).

Provided is a semiconductor device that includes a semiconductor substrate and a 10 to 40 thick high-k dielectric layer that contains one or both of hafnium dioxide (HfO.sub.2) and zirconium dioxide (ZrO.sub.2). The high-k dielectric layer is disposed on the semiconductor substrate, and it contains at least some tetragonal phase HfO.sub.2 and/or tetragonal phase ZrO.sub.2. Also provided are methods for making the semiconductor device, and electronic devices that employ the semiconductor device.

A method of fabricating transition metal dichalcogenides includes a preparing step, a steaming step and a depositing step. The preparing step is performed for providing a transition metal substrate, a reactive gas and a solid chalcogenide. The steaming step is performed for heating the solid chalcogenide to generate a chalcogenide gas in a steaming space. The depositing step is performed for introducing the reactive gas into the chalcogenide gas to ionize the chalcogenide gas so as to generate a chalcogenide plasma in a depositing space. The depositing step is performed under a process vacuum pressure from low vacuum pressure to atmospheric pressure. The reactive gas and the chalcogenide gas are flowed from top to bottom through a top of the transition metal substrate. The loading substrate is heated at a loading substrate temperature, and the steaming space is different from the depositing space.

Amorphous silicon (a-Si) is hydrogenated for use as a dielectric (e.g., an interlayer dielectric) for superconducting electronics. A hydrogenated a-Si layer is formed on a substrate by CVD or sputtering. The hydrogen may be integrated during or after the a-Si deposition. After the layer is formed, it is first annealed in an environment of high hydrogen chemical potential and subsequently annealed in an environment of low hydrogen chemical potential. Optionally, the a-Si (or an H-permeable overlayer, if added) may be capped with a hydrogen barrier before removing the substrate from the environment of low hydrogen chemical potential.

A method of depositing a dielectric thin film may include: depositing a thin layer of dielectric; stopping deposition of the dielectric layer, and modifying the gas in the chamber if desired; inducing and maintaining a plasma in the vicinity of the substrate to provide ion bombardment of the deposited layer of dielectric; and repeating the depositing, stopping and inducing and maintaining steps until a desired thickness of dielectric is deposited. A variation on this method may include, in place of the repeating step: depositing a thick layer of lower quality dielectric; depositing a thin layer of high quality dielectric; stopping deposition of the dielectric layer, and modifying the gas in the chamber if desired; and inducing and maintaining a plasma in the vicinity of the substrate to provide ion bombardment of the deposited layer of dielectric. The thick layer of dielectric may be deposited more rapidly than the thin layers.

Methods and systems that enable growing a SiGe film at relative high temperature resulting in single crystalline properties and imparting twin crystal structures and/or dislocation to the SiGe film through either in-situ or ex-situ electron-beam irradiation. The various embodiments may maintain (or increase) the Seeback coefficient and electrical conductivity of thermoelectric materials and simultaneously decrease the thermal conductivity of the thermoelectric materials.

A method for developing a coating having a high light transmission and/or a low light reflection is provided. The method relates to a process for developing a coating with a high light transmission and/or a low light reflection, where the coating is deposited on a substrate. The coating is deposited as a mixed coating comprising a material A and a material B, where the coating is developed to have a coating thickness profile in which the lowest proportion of the material B is on the substrate surface and the highest proportion of coating material is on the coating surface. The material B is at least partially removed from the coating after deposition of the coating on the substrate.

Provided is a film forming apparatus in which a thin film can be formed with a good coverage on the inner surface of a hole with high aspect ratio by preventing the negative electric charges from getting concentrated on the substrate edge portion at the time of etching processing. The film forming apparatus is provided with: a vacuum chamber in which a target is disposed; a stage for holding a substrate inside the vacuum chamber; a first electric power for applying predetermined electric power to the target; and a second electric power for applying AC power to the stage. The film forming apparatus performs: film forming processing in which the target is sputtered by applying electric power to the target by the first electric power; and etching processing in which a thin film formed on the substrate is etched by applying AC power to the stage by the second electric power.

Methods and systems that enable growing a SiGe film at relative high temperature resulting in single crystalline properties and imparting twin crystal structures and/or dislocation to the SiGe film through either in-situ or ex-situ electron-beam irradiation. The various embodiments may maintain (or increase) the Seeback coefficient and electrical conductivity of thermoelectric materials and simultaneously decrease the thermal conductivity of the thermoelectric materials.