A method and apparatus for processing a substrate are described herein. The methods and apparatus described enable the raising and lowering of a shadow ring within a process chamber either simultaneously with or separately from a plurality of substrate lift pins. The shadow ring is raised and lowered using a shadow ring lift assembly and may be raised to a pre-determined height above the substrate during a radical treatment operation. The shadow ring lift assembly may also raise and lower the plurality of substrate lift pins to enable both the shadow ring and the substrate lift pins to be raised to a transfer position when the substrate is being transferred into or out of the process chamber.

Graphene is deposited on a metal surface of a semiconductor substrate at a deposition temperature compatible with back-end-of-line semiconductor processing. The graphene may be annealed at a temperature between the deposition temperature and a temperature sensitive limit of materials in the semiconductor substrate to improve film quality. Alternatively, the graphene may be treated by exposure to plasma with one or more oxidant species. The graphene may be encapsulated with an etch stop layer and hermetic barrier, where the etch stop layer includes a metal oxide deposited under conditions that do not change or that improve the film quality of the graphene. The graphene may be encapsulated with a hermetic barrier, where the hermetic barrier is deposited under conditions that do not damage the graphene.

An apparatus for fabricating diamond by carbon assembly, which comprises:

a) a hydrocarbon radical generator in operable connection with
b) a mass flow conduit extending from the hydrocarbon radical generator in a) to an interface and into a primary magnetic accelerator containing one or more electromagnets in operable connection with
c) a diamond fabrication reactor comprising a diamond forming deposition substrate.

Also disclosed is a method for fabricating diamond by shockwaves using the disclosed apparatus.

An apparatus for fabricating diamond by carbon assembly, which comprises:

a) a hydrocarbon radical generator in operable connection with
b) a mass flow conduit extending from the hydrocarbon radical generator in a) to an interface and into a primary magnetic accelerator containing one or more electromagnets in operable connection with
c) a diamond fabrication reactor comprising a diamond forming deposition substrate.

Also disclosed is a method for fabricating diamond by shockwaves using the disclosed apparatus.

Graphene is deposited on a metal surface of a substrate using a remote hydrogen plasma chemical vapor deposition technique. The graphene may be deposited at temperatures below 400 C, which is suitable for semiconductor processing applications. Hydrogen radicals are generated in a remote plasma source located upstream of a reaction chamber, and hydrocarbon precursors are flowed into the reaction chamber downstream from the remote plasma source. The hydrocarbon precursors are activated by the hydrogen radicals under conditions to deposit graphene on the metal surface of the substrate in the reaction chamber.

A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus includes a process chamber. An insulating plate divides an interior space of the process chamber into a first space and a second space and thermally isolates the first space from the second space. A gas supplier is configured to supply a process gas to the first space. A radiator is configured to heat the first space. A stage is disposed within the second space and the stage is configured to support a substrate.

Methods to manufacture integrated circuits are described. Nanocrystalline diamond is used as a hard mask in place of amorphous carbon. Provided is a method of processing a substrate in which nanocrystalline diamond is used as a hard mask, wherein processing methods result in a smooth surface. The method involves two processing parts. Two separate nanocrystalline diamond recipes are combined—the first and second recipes are cycled to achieve a nanocrystalline diamond hard mask having high hardness, high modulus, and a smooth surface. In other embodiments, the first recipe is followed by an inert gas plasma smoothening process and then the first recipe is cycled to achieve a high hardness, a high modulus, and a smooth surface.

According to one embodiment, film formation apparatus includes: a carrying unit that includes a rotation table which circulates and carries a workpiece; a film formation process unit which includes a target formed of a silicon material, and a plasma producer that produces plasma of a sputter gas introduced between the target and the rotation table, and which forms a silicon film on the workpiece by sputtering; and a hydrogenation process unit which includes a process gas introducing unit that introduces a process gas containing a hydrogen gas, and a plasma producer that produces plasma of the process gas, and which performs hydrogenation on the silicon film formed on the workpiece. The carrying unit carries the workpiece so as to alternately pass through the film formation process unit and through the hydrogenation process unit.

According to one embodiment, film formation apparatus includes: a carrying unit that includes a rotation table which circulates and carries a workpiece; a film formation process unit which includes a target formed of a silicon material, and a plasma producer that produces plasma of a sputter gas introduced between the target and the rotation table, and which forms a silicon film on the workpiece by sputtering; and a hydrogenation process unit which includes a process gas introducing unit that introduces a process gas containing a hydrogen gas, and a plasma producer that produces plasma of the process gas, and which performs hydrogenation on the silicon film formed on the workpiece. The carrying unit carries the workpiece so as to alternately pass through the film formation process unit and through the hydrogenation process unit.

Exemplary semiconductor processing chambers may include a substrate support positioned within a processing region of the semiconductor processing chamber. The chamber may include a lid plate. The chamber may include a gasbox positioned between the lid plate and the substrate support. The gasbox may be characterized by a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface. The gasbox may define a central aperture. The gasbox may define an annular channel in the first surface of the gasbox extending about the central aperture through the gasbox. The gasbox may include an annular cover extending across the annular channel defined in the first surface of the gasbox. The chamber may include a blocker plate positioned between the gasbox and the substrate support. The chamber may include a ferrite block positioned between the lid plate and the blocker plate.