A NAND structure and method of fabricating the structure are described. A multi-layer ONON stack is deposited on a Si substrate and a field oxide grown thereon. A portion of the field oxide is removed, and high-aspect-ratio channels are etched in the stack. The channels are filled with a Si oxide using a thermal ALD process. The thermal ALD process includes multiple growth cycles followed by a passivation cycle. Each growth cycle includes treating the surface oxide surface using an inhibitor followed by multiple cycles to deposit the oxide on the treated surface using a precursor and source of the oxide. The passivation after the growth cycle removes the residual inhibitor. The Si oxide is recess etched using a wet chemical etch of DHF and then capped using a poly-Si cap.

An air gap forming method of forming an air gap in a gap structure having an upper surface, a lower surface, and a sidewall connecting the upper and lower surface, includes: repeatedly performing a selective deposition cycle, wherein the selective deposition cycle includes supplying a deposition inhibitor onto a substrate including the gap structure; and selectively forming a material layer on the upper surface compared to the sidewall.

There is provided a technique capable of improving a step coverage performance of a film formed on a substrate. According to one aspect thereof, there is provided a substrate processing method including: (a1) supplying a first process gas such that a transfer velocity of the first process gas toward an edge region of a substrate is faster than the transfer velocity of the first process gas toward a central region of the substrate; (a2) supplying a second process gas such that a transfer velocity of the second process gas toward the central region of the substrate is faster than the transfer velocity of the second process gas toward the edge region of the substrate; and (b) supplying a reactive gas toward the substrate.

A film forming apparatus embeds ruthenium in a substrate having a recess. The film forming apparatus includes: a processing container; a gas supplier configured to supply gas; and a gas exhauster configured to exhaust gas, wherein the gas supplier includes a first supply line configured to supply a ruthenium raw-material gas into the processing container and a second supply line configured to supply a gas containing ozone gas into the processing container, and wherein the gas exhauster includes a first exhaust line including a first exhaust apparatus and configured to exhaust a gas containing a ruthenium raw-material gas from an interior of the processing container by using the first exhaust apparatus, and a second exhaust line including a second exhaust apparatus different from the first exhaust apparatus and configured to exhaust the gas containing ozone gas by using the second exhaust apparatus.

A film-forming method of embedding ruthenium in a substrate having a recess includes: (a) providing the substrate in a processing container; (b) supplying a gas containing a ruthenium raw material gas into the processing container to form a ruthenium layer; (c) annealing the ruthenium layer; and (d) supplying a gas containing an ozone gas into the processing container to etch the ruthenium layer, wherein (b), (c), and (d) are repeatedly executed in this order.

According to the invention there is provided a method of filling one or more gaps created during manufacturing of a feature on a substrate by providing a deposition method comprising; introducing a first reactant to the substrate with a first dose, thereby forming no more than about one monolayer by the first reactant; introducing a second reactant to the substrate with a second dose. The first reactant is introduced with a subsaturating first dose reaching only a top area of the surface of the one or more gaps and the second reactant is introduced with a saturating second dose reaching a bottom area of the surface of the one or more gaps. A third reactant may be provided to the substrate in the reaction chamber with a third dose, the third reactant reacting with at least one of the first and second reactant.

An etching method of the invention includes: a resist pattern-forming step of forming a resist layer on a target object, the resist layer being formed of a resin, the resist layer having a resist pattern; an etching step of etching the target object via the resist layer having the resist pattern; and a resist protective film-forming step of forming a resist protective film on the resist layer. The etching step is repetitively carried out multiple times. After the etching steps are repetitively carried out multiple times, the resist protective film-forming step is carried out.

Silicon-carbon composite materials and related processes are disclosed that overcome the challenges for providing amorphous nano-sized silicon entrained within porous carbon. Compared to other, inferior materials and processes described in the prior art, the materials and processes disclosed herein find superior utility in various applications, including energy storage devices such as lithium ion batteries.

A film having filling capability of a patterned recess on a surface of a substrate is deposited by forming a viscous material in a gas phase by striking a plasma in a chamber filled with a volatile precursor that can be polymerized within certain parameter ranges which include a partial pressure of the precursor during a plasma strike and substrate temperature.

Provided are a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method capable of achieving uniform trimming throughout an entire surface of a substrate. The substrate processing apparatus includes a gas channel including a center gas inlet and an additional gas inlet spaced apart from the center gas inlet, and a shower plate including a plurality of holes connected to the center gas inlet and the additional gas inlet, wherein a gas flow channel is formed having a clearance defined by a lower surface of the gas channel and an upper surface of the shower plate, the lower surface and the upper surface being substantially parallel.