Systems and method for producing graphene on a substrate are described. Certain types of exemplar systems include lateral arrangements of a substrate gas scavenging environment and an annealing environment. Certain other types of exemplar systems include lateral arrangements of a graphene producing environment and a cooling environment, which cools the graphene produced on the substrate. Yet other types of exemplar systems include lateral arrangements of a localized annealing environment, localized graphene producing environment and a localized cooling environment inside the same enclosure.

Certain type of exemplar methods for producing graphene on a substrate include scavenging a first portion of the substrate and preferably, contemporaneously annealing a second portion of the substrate. Certain other type of exemplar methods for producing graphene include novel annealing techniques and/or implementing temperature profiles and gas flow rate profiles that vary as a function of lateral distance and/or cooling graphene after producing it.

A method of growing one or more graphene sheets on one or more regions of an optical fiber using plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) includes placing the optical fiber in a growth chamber, placing one or more carbon-containing precursors in the growth chamber, forming a reduced pressure in the growth chamber, and flowing methane gas and hydrogen gas into the growth chamber. The method also includes generating a plasma in the growth chamber, forming a gaseous carbon-containing precursor from the one or more carbon-containing precursors, exposing the one or more regions of the optical fiber to the methane gas, the hydrogen gas, the gaseous carbon-containing precursor, and the plasma, and forming the one or more graphene sheets on the one or more regions of the optical fiber.

A method of growing one or more graphene sheets on one or more regions of an optical fiber using plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) includes placing the optical fiber in a growth chamber, placing one or more carbon-containing precursors in the growth chamber, forming a reduced pressure in the growth chamber, and flowing methane gas and hydrogen gas into the growth chamber. The method also includes generating a plasma in the growth chamber, forming a gaseous carbon-containing precursor from the one or more carbon-containing precursors, exposing the one or more regions of the optical fiber to the methane gas, the hydrogen gas, the gaseous carbon-containing precursor, and the plasma, and forming the one or more graphene sheets on the one or more regions of the optical fiber.

Apparatuses and methods for depositing materials on both sides of a web while it passes a substantially vertical direction are provided. In particular embodiments, a web does not contact any hardware components during the deposition. A web may be supported before and after the deposition chamber but not inside the deposition chamber. At such support points, the web may be exposed to different conditions (e.g., temperature) than during the deposition. Also provided are substrates having materials deposited on both sides that may be fabricated by the methods and apparatuses.

Apparatuses and methods for depositing materials on both sides of a web while it passes a substantially vertical direction are provided. In particular embodiments, a web does not contact any hardware components during the deposition. A web may be supported before and after the deposition chamber but not inside the deposition chamber. At such support points, the web may be exposed to different conditions (e.g., temperature) than during the deposition. Also provided are substrates having materials deposited on both sides that may be fabricated by the methods and apparatuses.

Aspects generally relate to methods, systems, and apparatus for processing substrates using one or more amorphous carbon hardmask layers. In one aspect, film stress is altered while facilitating enhanced etch selectivity. In one implementation, a method of processing a substrate includes depositing one or more amorphous carbon hardmask layers onto the substrate, and conducting a rapid thermal anneal operation on the substrate after depositing the one or more amorphous carbon hardmask layers. The rapid thermal anneal operation lasts for an anneal time that is 60 seconds or less. The rapid thermal anneal operation includes heating the substrate to an anneal temperature that is within a range of 600 degrees Celsius to 1,000 degrees Celsius. The method includes etching the substrate after conducting the rapid thermal anneal operation.

Methods of forming a ceramic matrix, as well as fiber preforms and methods of forming fiber preforms to facilitate formation of a ceramic matrix are provided. The method includes obtaining a fiber preform to facilitate forming the ceramic matrix. The fiber preform includes a fiber layer with a plurality of fibers and a heating element embedded within the fiber preform. The method also includes heating the fiber preform via the heating element embedded within the fiber preform, and depositing matrix material into the fiber preform by embedded wire chemical vapor deposition (EWCVD) of the matrix material during the heating of the fiber preform by the heating element. The chemical vapor deposition of the matrix material within the fiber preform facilitates formation of the ceramic matrix.

A tool and method for processing substrates by encapsulating a mask to protect from degradation during an etch-back to prevent a feature liner material from pinching off an opening during deposition-etch cycles used to fabricate high aspect ratio features with very tight critical dimension control.

A tool and method for processing substrates by encapsulating a mask to protect from degradation during an etch-back to prevent a feature liner material from pinching off an opening during deposition-etch cycles used to fabricate high aspect ratio features with very tight critical dimension control.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a vacuum processing apparatus includes: a decompressable process container; a supply port that is formed on a side wall of the process container and that is configured to supply, to the process container, an ionic liquid that absorbs an oxidizing gas; and a discharge port configured to discharge the ionic liquid supplied to the process container.