Described are a method for processing a surface of an object, in particular of a lithographic mask, an apparatus for carrying out such a method and a computer program containing instructions for carrying out such a method.

A method for processing a surface of an object, in particular of a lithographic mask, includes the following steps: (a.) supplying a gas mixture containing at least a first gas and a second gas to a reaction site at the surface of the object; (b.) inducing a reaction, which includes at least a first partial reaction and a second partial reaction, at the reaction site by exposing the reaction site to a beam of energetic particles in a plurality of exposure intervals, wherein the first partial reaction is promoted primarily by the first gas and the second partial reaction is promoted primarily by the second gas, and wherein a gas refresh interval lies between the respective exposure intervals; (c.) setting a first time duration for the gas refresh interval, as a result of which the process rate of the first partial reaction and the process rate of the second partial reaction are present; (d.) setting a second time duration for the gas refresh interval, which brings about a relative increase in the process rate of the first partial reaction in comparison with the process rate of the second partial reaction.

A method includes providing a substrate having a surface such that a first hard mask layer is formed over the surface and a second hard mask layer is formed over the first hard mask layer, forming a first pattern in the second hard mask layer, where the first pattern includes a first mandrel oriented lengthwise in a first direction and a second mandrel oriented lengthwise in a second direction different from the first direction, and where the first mandrel has a top surface, a first sidewall, and a second sidewall opposite to the first sidewall, and depositing a material towards the first mandrel and the second mandrel such that a layer of the material is formed on the top surface and the first sidewall but not the second sidewall of the first mandrel.

In one embodiment, a method of selectively forming a deposit may include providing a substrate, the substrate having a plurality of surface features, extending at a non-zero angle of inclination with respect to a perpendicular to a plane of the substrate. The method may include directing a reactive beam to the plurality of surface features, the reactive beam defining a non-zero angle of incidence with respect to a perpendicular to the plane of the substrate, wherein a seed layer is deposited on a first portion of the surface features, and is not deposited on a second portion of the surface features. The method may further include exposing the substrate to a reactive deposition process after the directing the reactive ion beam, wherein a deposit layer selectively grows over the seed layer.

A graphene fabrication method which can obtain graphene of high quality and good characteristics by adjusting a size and a shape of a domain of graphene is provided. The method for fabricating graphene according to the present disclosure includes: a graphene pattern forming step of forming a graphene forming pattern on a graphene growth substrate; and a graphene forming step of forming a graphene layer on the graphene growth substrate having the graphene forming pattern formed thereon.

The present application relates to a method for permanently repairing defects of absent material of a photolithographic mask, comprising the following steps: (a) providing at least one carbon-containing precursor gas and at least one oxidizing agent at a location to be repaired of the photolithographic mask; (b) initiating a reaction of the at least one carbon-containing precursor gas with the aid of at least one energy source at the location of absent material in order to deposit material at the location of absent material, wherein the deposited material comprises at least one reaction product of the reacted at least one carbon-containing precursor gas; and (c) controlling a gas volumetric flow rate of the at least one oxidizing agent in order to minimize a carbon proportion of the deposited material.

This invention claims a method for creating patterns of carbon or other elements as deposits on the surface of substrates or as self-supporting filaments in liquid or solid media by the selected application of directed energy. In some embodiments, the deposits or filaments may be of primary interest because of their mechanical properties. In other embodiments, the patterns may have useful physical properties such as being electrically conductive, semi-conductive or electric insulators. Many different deposit precursors, types of directed energy, and adjunct reagents are described. The invention anticipates numerous different embodiments created by selecting various combinations of these elements and sequences of application as a means to build complex devices. In particular, the patterns may constitute the elements of an electric circuit or device (e.g., wires, capacitors, diodes, transistors).

A method for planning a beam path for material deposition is provided in which a structure pattern having features of varying size is analyzed to determine the size of each feature. A beam path throughout the structure pattern is determined and the beam current required for each point in the structure pattern is configured. Configuring the beam current required for each point involves determining the acceptable beam dose for that point. Relatively small features require a low beam current for high accuracy and relatively large features can be formed using a higher beam current allowing faster deposition. Each feature in the structure pattern is deposited at the highest beam current acceptable to allow accurate deposition of the feature.

A method for selectively depositing a metallic film on a substrate comprising a first dielectric surface and a second metallic surface is disclosed. The method may include, exposing the substrate to a passivating agent, performing a surface treatment on the second metallic surface, and selectively depositing the metallic film on the first dielectric surface relative to the second metallic surface. Semiconductor device structures including a metallic film selectively deposited by the methods of the disclosure are also disclosed.

A method for produce a silicon-carbide film by admitting a gaseous silicon-carbide precursor into a vacuum chamber containing a substrate and directing an electron beam into the vacuum chamber onto to the surface of the substrate. The electron beam dissociates the gaseous silicon-carbide precursor at the surface of the substrate creating non-volatile fragments that bind to the substrate surface forming a silicon-carbide film.

This disclosure relates generally to a patterning structure including an underlayer and an imaging layer, as well as methods and apparatuses thereof. In particular embodiments, the underlayer provides an increase in radiation absorptivity and/or patterning performance of the imaging layer.