Implementations of the present disclosure generally relate to an improved vacuum processing system. In one implementation, the vacuum processing system includes a first transfer chamber coupling to at least one epitaxy process chamber, a second transfer chamber, a transition station disposed between the first transfer chamber and the second transfer chamber, a first plasma-cleaning chamber coupled to the second transfer chamber for removing oxides from a surface of a substrate, and a load lock chamber coupled to the second transfer chamber. The transition station connects to the first transfer chamber and the second transfer chamber, and the transition station includes a second plasma-cleaning chamber for removing carbon-containing contaminants from the surface of the substrate.

A method for manufacturing a SiC epitaxial wafer according to one aspect of the present invention includes separately introducing, into a reaction space for SiC epitaxial growth, a basic N-based gas composed of molecules containing an N atom within the molecular structure but having neither a double bond nor a triple bond between nitrogen atoms, and a Cl-based gas composed of molecules containing a Cl atom within the molecular structure, and mixing the N-based gas and the Cl-based gas at a temperature equal to or higher than the boiling point or sublimation temperature of a solid product generated by mixing the N-based gas and the Cl-based gas.

A nonpolar III-nitride film grown on a miscut angle of a substrate, in order to suppress the surface undulations, is provided. The surface morphology of the film is improved with a miscut angle towards an a-axis direction comprising a 0.15° or greater miscut angle towards the a-axis direction and a less than 30° miscut angle towards the a-axis direction.

A method and structure for providing a two-step defect reduction bake, followed by a high-temperature epitaxial layer growth. In various embodiments, a semiconductor wafer is loaded into a processing chamber. While the semiconductor wafer is loaded within the processing chamber, a first pre-epitaxial layer deposition baking process is performed at a first pressure and first temperature. In some cases, after the first pre-epitaxial layer deposition baking process, a second pre-epitaxial layer deposition baking process is then performed at a second pressure and second temperature. In some embodiments, the second pressure is different than the first pressure. By way of example, after the second pre-epitaxial layer deposition baking process and while at a growth temperature, a precursor gas may then be introduced into the processing chamber to deposit an epitaxial layer over the semiconductor wafer.

A method for preparing a self-supporting substrate includes: preparing a thin film base structure including a first substrate layer, a thin film layer and a second substrate layer stacked in sequence; removing the first substrate layer from the thin film layer; continuing to grow a material the same as that of the thin film layer on a side of the thin film layer far away from the second substrate layer to prepare a thick film layer; and removing the second substrate layer from the thick film layer and remaining the thick film layer. In the method, a thin film may be grown on a substrate that has a larger diameter, and a thinness of the thin film will not cause the thin film and/or the substrate to crack. Therefore, a thin film that has a large diameter may be obtained so as to obtain a large-sized self-supporting thick film substrate.

A layered body includes: a plate-like supporting body having a supporting main surface; and a plurality of projection portions disposed on the supporting main surface, each of the plurality of projection portions being composed of a group III nitride and having a dislocation density of not more than 1×10.sup.8 cm.sup.−3. The projection portion preferably has a polygonal planar shape. The projection portion preferably has a plate-like shape. Preferably, each of the plurality of projection portions has a main surface opposite to the supporting body and corresponding to a {0001} plane of the group III nitride of the projection portions, and the adjacent projection portions of the plurality of projection portions have end surfaces facing each other and corresponding to a {11-20} plane of the group III nitride of the projection portions.

A process kit for use in a processing chamber includes an outer liner, an inner liner configured to be in fluid communication with a gas injection assembly and a gas exhaust assembly of a processing chamber, a first ring reflector disposed between the outer liner and the inner liner, a top plate and a bottom plate attached to an inner surface of the inner liner, the top plate and the bottom plate forming an enclosure together with the inner liner, a cassette disposed within the enclosure, the cassette comprising a plurality of shelves configured to retain a plurality of substrates thereon, and an edge temperature correcting element disposed between the inner liner and the first ring reflector.

In a method for manufacturing a reformed SiC wafer 41 (a surface treatment method for a SiC wafer) having its surface that is reformed by processing an untreated SiC wafer 40 before formation of an epitaxial layer 42, the method includes a surface reforming step as described below. That is, the untreated SiC wafer 40 includes BPDs as dislocations parallel to an inside of a (0001) face, and TEDs. Property of the surface of the untreated SiC wafer 40 is changed so as to have higher rate in which portions having BPDs on the surface of the untreated SiC wafer 40 propagate as TEDs at a time of forming the epitaxial layer 42.

A film deposition system includes a chamber, a stage disposed in the chamber configured to support a substrate, one or more gas inlet structures configured to supply one or more gases to an interior of the chamber, and one or more microwave-introducing windows that introduce microwave radiation to the chamber to excite the one or more source gases to produce a plasma proximate the stage. The gas inlet structures include one or more angled gas inlets that introduce a plasma-shaping gas flow to the chamber at an angle relative to a symmetry axis of the stage. The plasma-shaping gas flow interacts with the plasma in a way that facilitates axisymmetric deposition of material on a surface of the substrate with the plasma.

Provided are a method for preparing a vertical branched graphene comprising treating a pristine vertical graphene with an inert plasma in the absence of an introduced carbon source to develop a vertical branched graphene. The method may also include pre-treating a substrate surface with an inert plasma; depositing a pristine vertical graphene onto the substrate surface by contacting the substrate surface with a deposition plasma comprising a carbon source gas for a deposition period. Also provided are a vertical branched graphene attached to a substrate surface, the vertical branched graphene having a trunk portion extending from the substrate surface, said trunk possessing an increased degree of branching as the distance from the substrate surface increases; and a freestanding branched graphene with a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end comprising a trunk portion, the trunk portion possessing and increased degree of branching as the distance from the proximal end increases and the distance to the distal end decreases.