The technique relates to a method for preparing a nanomesh metal membrane 5 transferable on a very wide variety of supports of different types and shapes comprising at least one step of de-alloying 1 a thin layer 6 of a metal alloy deposited on a substrate 7, said method being characterized in that said thin layer 6 has a thickness less than 100 nm, and in that said de-alloying step 1 is carried out by exposing said thin layer 6 to an acid vapor in the gas phase 8, in order to form said nanomesh metal membrane 5.

The technique relates to a method for preparing a nanomesh metal membrane 5 transferable on a very wide variety of supports of different types and shapes comprising at least one step of de-alloying 1 a thin layer 6 of a metal alloy deposited on a substrate 7, said method being characterized in that said thin layer 6 has a thickness less than 100 nm, and in that said de-alloying step 1 is carried out by exposing said thin layer 6 to an acid vapor in the gas phase 8, in order to form said nanomesh metal membrane 5.

A processing system and platform for improving both the microscopic and macroscopic uniformity of materials during etching is disclosed herein. These improvements may be accomplished through the formation and dissolution of thin, self-limiting layers on the material surface by the use of wet atomic layer etching (ALE) techniques. For etching of polycrystalline materials, these self-limiting reactions can be used to prevent this roughening of the surface during etching. Thus, as disclosed herein, a wet ALE process uses sequential, self-limiting reactions to first modify the surface layer of a material and then selectively remove the modified layer.

An electrochemically actuatable electronic component comprises: a substrate; at least one first and one second actuating electrodes; at least one first and one second measuring electrodes; at least one storing electrode configured to free ions under the action of the actuating electrodes; at least one ionic conductor able to conduct the ions and that is located in a region placed between the measuring electrodes; a device suitable for: applying a voltage or a current between the first and second actuating electrodes to allow the migration of ions from the storing electrode to the first actuating electrode forming thereon an electrochemical deposition through the ionic conductor and for measuring, between the first and second measuring electrodes, a modification of at least one characteristic of the region placed between the first and second measuring electrodes, to determine at least one characteristic of the electronic component.

An electrochemically actuatable electronic component comprises: a substrate; at least one first and one second actuating electrodes; at least one first and one second measuring electrodes; at least one storing electrode configured to free ions under the action of the actuating electrodes; at least one ionic conductor able to conduct the ions and that is located in a region placed between the measuring electrodes; a device suitable for: applying a voltage or a current between the first and second actuating electrodes to allow the migration of ions from the storing electrode to the first actuating electrode forming thereon an electrochemical deposition through the ionic conductor and for measuring, between the first and second measuring electrodes, a modification of at least one characteristic of the region placed between the first and second measuring electrodes, to determine at least one characteristic of the electronic component.

Disclosed are processes of removing layers from substrates using fluorinated reactants having the formula MF.sub.x(adduct).sub.n, wherein x ranges from 2 to 6 inclusive; n ranges from 0 to 5 inclusive; M is selected from the group consisting of P, Ti, Zr, Hf, V, Nb, Ta, Mo, and W; and the adduct is a neutral organic molecule selected from THF, dimethylether, diethylether, glyme, diglyme, triglyme, polyglyme, dimethylsulphide, diethylsulphide, or methylcyanide. The fluorinated reactants dry etch the nitride layers without utilizing any plasma.

Disclosed are processes of removing layers from substrates using fluorinated reactants having the formula MF.sub.x(adduct).sub.n, wherein x ranges from 2 to 6 inclusive; n ranges from 0 to 5 inclusive; M is selected from the group consisting of P, Ti, Zr, Hf, V, Nb, Ta, Mo, and W; and the adduct is a neutral organic molecule selected from THF, dimethylether, diethylether, glyme, diglyme, triglyme, polyglyme, dimethylsulphide, diethylsulphide, or methylcyanide. The fluorinated reactants dry etch the nitride layers without utilizing any plasma.

The present invention is in the field of etching metal- or semimetal-containing materials by atomic layer etching. In particular the present invention relates to a process for etching a metal- or semimetal-containing material comprising bringing a metal- or semimetal-containing material having an activated surface in contact with an organic compound containing a leaving group which is capable of forming a volatile compound upon coming in contact with the metal- or semi-metal-containing material and a group which is capable of coordinating to a metal or semimetal atom in the metal- or semimetal-containing material.

The present invention is in the field of etching metal- or semimetal-containing materials by atomic layer etching. In particular the present invention relates to a process for etching a metal- or semimetal-containing material comprising bringing a metal- or semimetal-containing material having an activated surface in contact with an organic compound containing a leaving group which is capable of forming a volatile compound upon coming in contact with the metal- or semi-metal-containing material and a group which is capable of coordinating to a metal or semimetal atom in the metal- or semimetal-containing material.

The present disclosure provides a method for planarizing a metal-dielectric surface. The method includes: providing a slurry to a first metal-dielectric surface, wherein the first metal-dielectric surface comprises a silicon oxide portion and a metal portion, and wherein the slurry comprises a ceria compound; and performing a chemical mechanical polish (CMP) operation using the slurry to simultaneously remove the silicon oxide portion and the metal portion. The present disclosure also provides a method for planarizing a metal-dielectric surface and a method for manufacturing a semiconductor.