The disclosed methods and apparatus improve the fabrication of solid fibers and microstructures. In many embodiments, the fabrication is from gaseous, solid, semi-solid, liquid, critical, and supercritical mixtures using one or more low molar mass precursor(s), in combination with one or more high molar mass precursor(s). The methods and systems generally employ the thermal diffusion/Soret effect to concentrate the low molar mass precursor at a reaction zone, where the presence of the high molar mass precursor contributes to this concentration, and may also contribute to the reaction and insulate the reaction zone, thereby achieving higher fiber growth rates and/or reduced energy/heat expenditures together with reduced homogeneous nucleation. In some embodiments, the invention also relates to the permanent or semi-permanent recording and/or reading of information on or within fabricated fibers and microstructures. In some embodiments, the invention also relates to the fabrication of certain functionally-shaped fibers and microstructures. In some embodiments, the invention may also utilize laser beam profiling to enhance fiber and microstructure fabrication.

Described herein is a process for preparing inorganic metal-containing films including bringing a solid substrate in contact with a compound of general formula (I) or (II) in the gaseous state

##STR00001##

where A is NR.sub.2 or OR with R being an alkyl group, an alkenyl group, an aryl group, or a silyl group, E is NR or O, n is 1, 2 or 3, and R is hydrogen, an alkyl group, an alkenyl group, an aryl group, or a silyl group, wherein if n is 2 and E is NR or A is OR, at least one R in NR or OR bears no hydrogen atom in the 1-position.

Described herein is a process for preparing inorganic metal-containing films including bringing a solid substrate in contact with a compound of general formula (I) or (II) in the gaseous state

##STR00001##

where A is NR.sub.2 or OR with R being an alkyl group, an alkenyl group, an aryl group, or a silyl group, E is NR or O, n is 1, 2 or 3, and R is hydrogen, an alkyl group, an alkenyl group, an aryl group, or a silyl group, wherein if n is 2 and E is NR or A is OR, at least one R in NR or OR bears no hydrogen atom in the 1-position.

Described herein is a process including bringing a solid substrate in contact with a compound of general formula (I), (II), (III), or (IV) in the gaseous state

##STR00001##

where A is NR.sub.2 or OR with R being an alkyl group, an alkenyl group, an aryl group, or a silyl group, E is NR or O, n is 0, 1 or 2, m is 0, 1 or 2, and R is hydrogen, an alkyl group, an alkenyl group, an aryl group, or a silyl group.

Described herein is a process including bringing a solid substrate in contact with a compound of general formula (I), (II), (III), or (IV) in the gaseous state

##STR00001##

where A is NR.sub.2 or OR with R being an alkyl group, an alkenyl group, an aryl group, or a silyl group, E is NR or O, n is 0, 1 or 2, m is 0, 1 or 2, and R is hydrogen, an alkyl group, an alkenyl group, an aryl group, or a silyl group.

An encapsulation structure, an encapsulation method and an electronic device are provided. The encapsulation structure includes an inorganic layer, an aluminum carbon layer and an organic layer. The aluminum carbon layer is on the inorganic layer and contacts with the inorganic layer; the organic layer is on the aluminum carbon layer and contacts with the aluminum carbon layer.

An encapsulation structure, an encapsulation method and an electronic device are provided. The encapsulation structure includes an inorganic layer, an aluminum carbon layer and an organic layer. The aluminum carbon layer is on the inorganic layer and contacts with the inorganic layer; the organic layer is on the aluminum carbon layer and contacts with the aluminum carbon layer.

A method of fabricating a semiconductor device, the method including forming semiconductor patterns on a substrate such that the semiconductor patterns are vertically spaced apart from each other; and forming a metal work function pattern to fill a space between the semiconductor patterns, wherein forming the metal work function pattern includes performing an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process to form an alloy layer, and the ALD process includes providing a first precursor containing an organoaluminum compound on the substrate, and providing a second precursor containing a vanadium-halogen compound on the substrate.

A method of fabricating a semiconductor device, the method including forming semiconductor patterns on a substrate such that the semiconductor patterns are vertically spaced apart from each other; and forming a metal work function pattern to fill a space between the semiconductor patterns, wherein forming the metal work function pattern includes performing an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process to form an alloy layer, and the ALD process includes providing a first precursor containing an organoaluminum compound on the substrate, and providing a second precursor containing a vanadium-halogen compound on the substrate.

A method of forming a protective coating film for halide plasma resistance includes depositing a seed layer on a surface of an article via an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process, depositing a rare-earth containing oxide layer on the seed layer via an ALD process, and exposing the rare-earth containing oxide layer to fluorine-containing plasma.