There is provided a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device by processing a substrate, which includes: embedding a polymer having a urea bond in a recess formed in the substrate by supplying a material for polymerization from above a sacrificial film to the substrate and forming a polymer film made of the polymer having the urea bond, wherein a surface of the substrate is covered with the sacrificial film, the recess including an opening of the sacrificial film that is formed by a patterning; removing the polymer film formed on the sacrificial film while leaving the polymer embedded in the recess; removing the sacrificial film in a state in which the polymer is embedded in the recess; and subsequently, removing the polymer embedded in the recess.

A system and apparatus for thermal treatment of a substrate with improved thermal uniformity is provided. In some embodiments, the system includes a heating element, a substrate-retaining element operable to retain a substrate, and a reflective structure operable to direct thermal energy of the heating element towards the substrate retained in the substrate-retaining element. The reflective structure includes a textured portion wherein a texture of the textured portion is configured to direct the thermal energy towards the retained substrate. In some such embodiments, the texture includes a roughened irregular surface configured to direct the thermal energy towards the retained substrate. In some such embodiments, the texture includes a plurality of circumferential ridge structures configured to direct the thermal energy towards the retained substrate.

An example method for chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of thin films includes providing a deposition zone in a reaction chamber having a fixed showerhead assembly that introduces CVD reactive gases under positive pressure into the deposition zone. The example method also includes moving a substrate carrier beneath the showerhead assembly in the reaction chamber, the substrate carrier supports and transports at least one substrate within the reaction chamber so as to be subjected to a CVD process by the CVD reactive gases. The example method also includes providing a liner assembly shrouding the deposition zone and including at least one partial enclosure around the deposition zone isolating the deposition zone and the substrate carrier, whereby solid reaction byproducts are plated onto material in the liner assembly and gaseous reaction byproducts flow radially outward, the liner assembly being mounted on the substrate carrier for motion with the substrate carrier.

Methods and apparatus for depositing a cobalt layer in a feature, such as, a word line formed in a substrate, are provided herein. In some embodiments, method of processing a substrate includes: exposing a substrate at a first temperature to a cobalt containing precursor to deposit a cobalt layer within a word line feature formed in the substrate, wherein the word line feature is part of a 3D NAND device; and annealing the substrate to remove contaminants from the cobalt layer and to reflow the cobalt layer into the word line feature, wherein the substrate is at a second temperature greater than the first temperature during the annealing.

An ALD apparatus includes a first process chamber configured to supply a first source gas and induce adsorption of a first material film. A second process chamber is configured to supply a second source gas and induce adsorption of a second material film. A third process chamber is configured to supply a third source gas and induce absorption of a third material film. A surface treatment chamber is configured to perform a surface treatment process on each of the first to third material films and remove a reaction by-product. A heat treatment chamber is configured to perform a heat treatment process on the substrate on which the first to third material films are adsorbed in a predetermined order and transform the first to third material films into a single compound thin film.

A radiation shield and an assembly and a reactor including the radiation shield are disclosed. The radiation shield can be used to control heat flux from a susceptor heater assembly and thereby enable better control of temperatures across a surface of a substrate placed on a surface of the susceptor heater assembly.

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 technique capable of suppressing adhesion of by-products to a furnace opening portion. A substrate processing apparatus includes: a reaction vessel having an opening at a lower end and accommodating a substrate retainer; a shaft rotatably supporting the substrate retainer; a cap including: a side surface portion having a predetermined gap with an inner surface of the reaction vessel; a cylindrical portion through which the shaft is inserted; an upper plate portion of an annular shape; and a flange connected to a lower end of the side surface portion; and a cap cover connected to the shaft above the upper end of the cylindrical portion. A purge gas from thereunder flows sequentially to a space between the shaft and the cylindrical portion, a space between the upper plate portion and the cap cover and a space between the side surface portion and the cap cover.

Structures with altered crystallinity beneath semiconductor devices and methods associated with forming such structures. A semiconductor layer is implanted over a first depth range of an inert gas species to modify the crystal structure of a semiconductor material of the semiconductor layer and form a first modified region. The semiconductor layer is annealed with a first annealing process to convert the semiconductor material within the first modified region to a non-single-crystal layer. The semiconductor layer is also implanted with ions of an element over a second depth range to modify the crystal structure of the semiconductor material of the semiconductor layer and form a second modified region containing a concentration of the element. The semiconductor layer is annealed with a second annealing process to convert the semiconductor material within the second modified region to an insulator layer containing the element.

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.