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.

Subject-matter of the invention is a method of applying silicon carbide-containing materials to a substrate surface, and an apparatus for carrying out the method.

A composite tape and method of fabrication are provided which includes multiple layers and a laser-driven chemical vapor deposition (LCVD)-formed additive material in at least one layer of the multiple layers to enhance one or more properties of the composite tape. The LCVD-formed additive material is a single crystalline material and can include LCVD-formed granular material and/or LCVD-formed fiber material in the same or different layers of the composite tape to enhance, for instance, fracture strength and/or wear resistance of the composite tape.

A method of depositing a material on one of two, but not both, sidewalls of a raised structure formed on a substrate includes tilting a normal of the substrate away from a source of the deposition material or tilting the source of the deposition material away from the normal of the substrate. The method may be implemented by a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) technique.

The invention relates to a method for depositing new elements on a substrate of interest by means of a beam of focused ions and a platform for cooling the substrate of interest to cryogenic temperatures that can also rough out defective elements that are located on same. In addition, the invention relates to a device that comprises all the means necessary for carrying out the method, in particular the means necessary for condensing precursor gases on the surface of the substrate of interest at cryogenic temperatures. The method and the device of the invention can be used to remove and repair, for example, metal contacts of an electronic device or of an integrated circuit, or to repair, for example, portions of an optical lithography mask. Therefore, the present invention is applicable in the electronics industry and in the field of nanotechnology.

A system for additive chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and (CVD) methods for producing free-standing 3D metal deposits with a controlled crystal size, the method comprising a) supplying a CVD mixture containing at least one CVD precursor into a deposition chamber having a rotatable mandrel with a deposition surface or a deposition table with a deposition surface; b) generating a radiation pattern in at least two programmable radiation modules, each programmable radiation module containing an array of individually addressable radiation transmitting and/or radiation emitting elements; and c) irradiating the deposition surface with a first radiation pattern from a first radiation module and a second radiation pattern from a second radiation module, wherein the first radiation module irradiates the deposition surface in a first direction and the second radiation module irradiates the deposition surface in a second direction, and depositing a material from the CVD mixture on the deposition surface.

Methods and apparatus for forming a patterned layer of carbon are disclosed. In one arrangement, a selected portion of a surface of a solid structure is irradiated with extreme ultraviolet radiation in the presence of a carbon-containing precursor. The radiation interacts with the solid structure in the selected portion to cause formation of a layer of carbon in the selected portion from the carbon-containing precursor. The layer of carbon is formed in a pattern defined by the selected portion.

Redeposition of substrate material on a fiducial resulting from charged particle beam (CPB) or laser beam milling of a substrate can be reduced with a shield formed on the substrate surface. The shield typically has a suitable height that can be selected based on proximity of an area to be milled to the fiducial. The shield can be formed with the milling beam using beam-assisted chemical vapor deposition (CVD). The same or different beams can be used for milling and beam-assisted CVD.

Methods and systems for direct lithographic pattern definition based upon electron beam induced alteration of the surface chemistry of a substrate are described. The methods involve an initial chemical treatment for global definition of a specified surface chemistry (SC). Electron beam induced surface reactions between a gaseous precursor and the surface are then used to locally alter the SC. High resolution patterning of stable, specified surface chemistries upon a substrate can thus be achieved. The defined patterns can then be utilized for selective material deposition via methods which exploit the specificity of certain SC combinations or by differences in surface energy. It is possible to perform all steps in-situ without breaking vacuum.

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes: preparing a stepped structure being arranged on a substrate, the stepped structure including a first region and a second region, a height of the stepped structure of the second region being lower than a height of the stepped structure of the first region; and etching the first region and the second region of the stepped structure by irradiating the first region and the second region with an ion beam, an irradiation amount of the ion beam irradiating the first region is larger than an irradiation amount of the ion beam irradiating the second region.