Methods of depositing a metal film by exposing a substrate surface to a halide precursor and an organosilane reactant are described. The halide precursor comprises a compound of general formula (I): MQ.sub.zR.sub.m, wherein M is a metal, Q is a halogen selected from Cl, Br, F or I, z is from 1 to 6, R is selected from alkyl, CO, and cyclopentadienyl, and m is from 0 to 6. The aluminum reactant comprises a compound of general formula (II) or general formula (III):

##STR00001##

wherein R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3, R.sup.4, R.sup.5, R.sup.6, R.sup.7, R.sup.8, R.sup.a, R.sup.b, R.sup.c, R.sup.d, R.sup.e, and R.sup.f are independently selected from hydrogen (H), substituted alkyl or unsubstituted alkyl; and X, Y, X′, and Y′ are independently selected from nitrogen (N) and carbon (C).

Methods of depositing a metal film by exposing a substrate surface to a halide precursor and an organosilane reactant are described. The halide precursor comprises a compound of general formula (I): MQ.sub.zR.sub.m, wherein M is a metal, Q is a halogen selected from Cl, Br, F or I, z is from 1 to 6, R is selected from alkyl, CO, and cyclopentadienyl, and m is from 0 to 6. The aluminum reactant comprises a compound of general formula (II) or general formula (III):

##STR00001##

wherein R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3, R.sup.4, R.sup.5, R.sup.6, R.sup.7, R.sup.8, R.sup.a, R.sup.b, R.sup.c, R.sup.d, R.sup.e, and R.sup.f are independently selected from hydrogen (H), substituted alkyl or unsubstituted alkyl; and X, Y, X′, and Y′ are independently selected from nitrogen (N) and carbon (C).

In one embodiment, the disclosed subject matter is a method to produce a substantially uniform, silicon-carbide layer over both dielectric materials and metal materials. In one example, the method includes forming a silicon-nitride layer over the dielectric materials and the metal materials, and forming the silicon carbide layer over the silicon-nitride layer. Other methods are disclosed.

Methods and apparatus for processing a substrate include cleaning and self-assembly monolayer (SAM) formation for subsequent reverse selective atomic layer deposition. An apparatus may include a process chamber with a processing volume and a substrate support including a pedestal, a remote plasma source fluidly coupled to the process chamber and configured to produce radicals or ionized gas mixture with radicals that flow into the processing volume to remove residue or oxides from a surface of the substrate, a first gas delivery system with a first ampoule configured to provide at least one first chemical into the processing volume to produce a SAM on the surface of the substrate, a heating system located in the pedestal and configured to heat a substrate by flowing gas on a backside of the substrate, and a vacuum system fluidly coupled to the process chamber and configured to control heating of the substrate.

During a process involving one or more process steps of a process phase, in which a substrate is located in the process chamber of a CVD reactor, a process temperature and a pressure are each set and a process gas flow is fed into the process chamber by way of control data delivered by a controller in accordance with a formula stored in the controller. Additionally, sensors are used to determine measurement data from which a current fingerprint is calculated and then compared with a historic fingerprint. The fingerprint includes only values or groups of values that are obtained from measured values that are recorded during one or more conditioning steps of a conditioning phase in which a conditioning temperature and a conditioning pressure are each set and a conditioning gas flow is fed into the process chamber in accordance with control data specified by the formula.

A structure includes an underlayer formed on a substrate, a mandrel layer formed on the underlayer, and a spacer layer formed on the mandrel layer. The underlayer includes a first material, and the spacer layer includes a second material. The first material is resistant to etching gases used in a first etch process to remove portions of the spacer layer and a second etch process to remove the mandrel layer.

A batch processing oven comprising a processing chamber and a rack configured to be positioned in the processing chamber. The rack is configured to support a plurality of substrates and a plurality of panels in a stacked manner such that one or more substrates of the plurality of substrates are positioned between at least one pair of adjacent panels of the plurality panels. Vertical gaps separate each substrate of the one or more substrates from an adjacent substrate or panel on either side of the substrate.

Methods of depositing a metal film by exposing a substrate surface to a halide precursor and an organosilane reactant are described. The halide precursor comprises a compound of general formula (I): MQ.sub.zR.sub.m, wherein M is a metal, Q is a halogen selected from Cl, Br, F or I, z is from 1 to 6, R is selected from alkyl, CO, and cyclopentadienyl, and m is from 0 to 6. The aluminum reactant comprises a compound of general formula (II) or general formula (III): ##STR00001##
wherein R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3, R.sup.4, R.sup.5, R.sup.6, R.sup.7, R.sup.8, R.sup.a, R.sup.b, R.sup.c, R.sup.d, R.sup.e, and R.sup.f are independently selected from hydrogen (H), substituted alkyl or unsubstituted alkyl; and X, Y, X′, and Y′ are independently selected from nitrogen (N) and carbon (C).

In a capacitive coupled etch reactor, in which the smaller electrode is predominantly etched, the surface of the larger electrode is increased by a body e.g. a plate, which is on the same electric potential as the larger electrode and which is immersed in the plasma space. A pattern of openings in which plasma may burn is provided in the body so as to control the distribution of the etching effect on a substrate placed on the smaller electrode.

In some examples, an exclusion ring locates a substrate on a substrate-support assembly in a processing chamber. An example exclusion ring comprises an inner edge portion to cover an edge of a substrate in the processing chamber and an outer edge portion to support the exclusion ring on the substrate support assembly in the processing chamber. The outer edge portion may include an outer edge of the exclusion ring. A separation zone extending between the inner edge portion and the outer edge of the exclusion ring includes an undercut in an undersurface of the exclusion ring. In some examples, a cooling gas is directed at the exclusion ring while the exclusion ring is located at a station or during an indexing operation performed by the exclusion ring within a processing tool.