Methods of forming metal-containing films are provided. The methods include forming a blocking layer, for example, on a first substrate surface, by a first deposition process and forming the metal-containing film, for example, on a second substrate surface, by a second deposition process.

A surface coated cutting tool includes a tool substrate; and a hard coating layer on the tool substrate. The hard coating layer includes, in sequence from the tool substrate toward a surface of the tool, a titanium carbonitride inner layer, a titanium nitride lower intermediate layer, a titanium carbonitride upper intermediate layer, a titanium oxycarbonitride bonding auxiliary layer, and an aluminum oxide outer layer. Titanium nitride grain boundaries in the lower intermediate layer and titanium carbonitride grain boundaries in the upper intermediate layer are continuous from titanium carbonitride grain boundaries in the inner layer. The texture coefficient TC(422) of titanium carbonitride in the inner layer and the upper intermediate layer is 3.0 or more, and the texture coefficient TC(0 0 12) of α-aluminum oxide in the outer layer is 5.0 or more.

A substrate processing method includes a protective film forming step, an insulating material depositing step, a protective film removing step, and a metal material depositing step. In the protective film forming step, a protective film is formed on a metal film among the metal film and an insulating film exposed on the surface of a substrate, using a film-forming material that is selectively adsorbed onto the metal film. In the insulating material depositing step, after the protective film forming step, an insulating material is deposited on the surface of the insulating film using an atomic layer deposition method. In the protective film removing step, the protective film is removed from the surface of the metal film after the insulating material depositing step. In the metal material depositing step, a metal material is deposited on the metal film after the protective film removing step.

There is provided a processing apparatus for forming a film with a plasma. The processing apparatus comprises: a processing container, having a ceramic sprayed coating on an inner wall on which an antenna that radiates microwaves is arranged, configured to accommodate a substrate; a mounting table configured to mount the substrate in the processing container; and a controller configured to perform a precoating process of coating a surface of the ceramic sprayed coating with a first carbon film with a plasma of a first carbon-containing gas at a first pressure and a film forming process of forming a second carbon film on the substrate with a plasma of a second carbon-containing gas at a second pressure.

A seed layer for inducing nucleation to form a layer of material is described. In an embodiment, the seed layer comprising a layer of two-dimensional monolayer amorphous material having a disordered atomic structure adapted to create localised electronic states to form electric potential wells for bonding adatoms to a surface of the seed layer via van der Waals interaction to form the layer of material, wherein each of the electric potential wells has a potential energy larger in magnitude than surrounding thermal energy to capture adatoms on the surface of the seed layer. Embodiments in relation to a method for forming the seed layer, a heterostructure comprising the seed layer, a method for forming the heterostructure comprising the seed layer, a device comprising the heterostructure and a method of enhancing vdW interaction between adatoms and a surface of the seed layer are also described.

A method for forming a film that includes forming a boron nitride film on a substrate, and forming a boron-containing silicon film on the boron nitride film.

A method of crystallizing an amorphous silicon film includes depositing the amorphous silicon film on a seed layer formed over a substrate while heating the amorphous silicon film at a first temperature, and forming a crystal nucleus in an outer layer of the amorphous silicon film by causing migration of silicon in the outer layer by heating the amorphous silicon film at a second temperature higher than the first temperature.

A method of forming a device structure including a selectively-deposited gallium nitride layer is disclosed.

A method of making an atomic layer nanoribbon that includes forming a double atomic layer ribbon having a first monolayer and a second monolayer on a surface of the first monolayer, wherein the first monolayer and the second monolayer each contains a transition metal dichalcogenide material, oxidizing at least a portion of the first monolayer to provide an oxidized portion, and removing the oxidized portion to provide an atomic layer nanoribbon of the transition metal dichalcogenide material. Also provided are double atomic layer ribbons, double atomic layer nanoribbons, and single atomic layer nanoribbons prepared according to the method.

Contamination from outgassing during a deposition process is addressed by a series of equipment enhancements, including throttle valves, a dual air curtain, and a residual gas analysis (RGA) monitor. The dual air curtain can be configured to flow a first gas during wafer processing and a second gas during wafer unloading, to re-direct and capture outgassed species. The dual air curtain and the throttle valves can be programmed in an automated feedback control system that utilizes data from the RGA monitor.