A technique is provided in which a deviation of a characteristic of a semiconductor device is suppressed from occurring. The technique includes a method of a manufacturing a semiconductor device, including: (a) polishing a first silicon-containing layer formed on a substrate including a convex structure; (b) obtaining a data representing a height distribution of a surface of the first silicon-containing layer after performing the step (a); (c) determining a process condition; and (d) supplying a process gas to form a second silicon-containing layer wherein the process gas is activated such that a concentration of an active species of the process gas at a center portion of the substrate differs from a concentration of an active species at a peripheral portion of the substrate to adjust heights of surfaces of a laminated film according to the process condition.

A semiconductor device structure includes a layer of III-V compound semiconductor material, a layer of polycrystalline CVD diamond material, and an interface region with a diamond nucleation layer. A Raman signal of the diamond nucleation layer exhibits an sp3 carbon peak at 1332 cm.sup.1 having a full width half maximum of no more than 5.0 cm.sup.1, and one or both of: (i) an sp2 carbon peak at 1550 cm.sup.1 having a height which is no more than 20% of a height of the sp3 carbon peak at 1332 cm.sup.1 after background subtraction when using a Raman excitation source at 633 nm; and (ii) the sp3 carbon peak at 1332 cm.sup.1 is no less than 10% of local background intensity in a Raman spectrum using a Raman excitation source at 785 nm. An average nucleation density at a nucleation surface is no less than 110.sup.8 cm.sup.2 and no more than 110.sup.12 cm.sup.2.

Composites having a substrate, a diamond film, and a metal boride film disposed between the substrate and the diamond film, together with methods for producing the composites.

Embodiments disclosed herein include methods and apparatuses used to deposit graphene layers. In an embodiment, a method of depositing a graphene layer on a substrate comprises providing a substrate within a modular microwave plasma chamber, and flowing a carbon source and a hydrogen source into the modular microwave plasma chamber. In an embodiment, the method further comprises striking a plasma in the modular microwave plasma chamber, where a substrate temperature is below approximately 400 C., and depositing the graphene layer on the substrate.

Systems and methods for the formation and/or growth of elongated carbon-based nanostructures on copper-containing substrates, are generally described. Inventive articles comprising elongated carbon-based nanostructures and copper-containing substrates are also described.

Methods of producing an optical surface atop an exterior of a substrate that includes smoothing the exterior using an ALD process to sequentially deposit ALD layers to produce one or more ALD films that fill spaces between spaced-apart asperities existing on the exterior, and thereafter depositing a reflective material on the smoothed exterior of the substrate to produce the optical surface. The smoothing resulting from depositing the ALD film on the exterior of the substrate causes the grain size of the reflective material to be reduced in comparison to the grain size that would exists without having deposited the ALD film on the exterior of the substrate. The smoothing is sufficient to cause a reduction in grain size that results in a reduction in plasmon absorption in the optical surface in comparison to the plasmon absorption that would otherwise exist without having reduced the grain size of the reflective material.

A method for selectively depositing a mask protection material using non-plasma treatments includes performing a non-plasma vapor treatment and performing a non-plasma halide treatment. During the non-plasma vapor treatment, a mask having openings exposing an underlying layer is treated with a non-plasma vapor to selectively deposit a first component of a mask protection material on the mask. During the non-plasma halide treatment, the mask and the underlying layer are treated with a non-plasma halide gas to selectively deposit a second component of the mask protection material on the mask. The non-plasma treatments are performed sequentially, but may be performed in either order. An optional pretreatment may be performed prior to the non-plasma treatments during which the mask is pretreated to form a reactive surface.

The present disclosure relates to the technical field of composite coating preparation, in particular to a method for plasma-assisted and multi-step continuous preparation of a diffusion layer/amorphous carbon film composite coating and use thereof. In the present disclosure, a high-temperature plasma carburizing/nitriding technology and a low-temperature plasma carbon coating technology are combined by a plasma activation technology with argon ion under gradient cooling, and the surface of a material is activated by multiple bombardment on the surface of the material with high-energy argon ions. In this way, a cluster-like porous and loose structure on a surface of the diffusion layer is removed. In summary, the multi-step continuous preparation of the diffusion layer/amorphous carbon film composite coating is formed based on an integrated technology of the high-temperature plasma diffusion with nitrogen/carbon ion and plasma activation with argon ion under gradient cooling and plasma coating with low-temperature carbon ion.

A method includes forming an abrasion-resistant coating on a substrate including graphite, and grinding the coating to a predetermined flatness index and a predetermined roughness index. An assembly includes the substrate including graphite, and the abrasion-resistant coating formed on the substrate. The assembly may be configured to operate at elevated temperatures.

A method for depositing a copper metal coating on a substrate's surface includes providing a substrate with a first face and a second face. The first face includes at least one exposed surface composed of a metallic material and at least one exposed surface composed of a non-metallic material. The substrate is contacted with a vapor of a copper-containing compound and hydrazine vapor at a sufficient temperature to preferentially form a copper metal coating on the surface composed of a metallic material as compared to the exposed surface composed of a non-metallic material.