Methods of forming graphene hard mask films are disclosed. Some methods are advantageously performed at lower temperatures. The substrate is exposed to an aromatic precursor to form the graphene hard mask film. The substrate comprises one or more of titanium nitride (TiN), tantalum nitride (TaN), silicon (Si), cobalt (Co), titanium (Ti), silicon dioxide (SiO.sub.2), copper (Cu), and low-k dielectric materials.

Apparatus for sputter deposition of target material to a substrate is disclosed. In one form, the apparatus includes a substrate guide arranged to guide a substrate along a curved path and a target portion spaced from the substrate guide and arranged to support target material. The target portion and the substrate guide define between them a deposition zone. The apparatus includes a confining arrangement including one or more magnetic elements arranged to provide a confining magnetic field to confine plasma in the deposition zone thereby to provide for sputter deposition of target material to the web of substrate in use. The confining magnetic field includes magnetic field lines arranged to, at least in the deposition zone, substantially follow a curve of the curved path so as to confine said plasma around said curve of the curved path.

An apparatus that performs a film forming process includes: a rotary table having one surface on which substrates are placed and for revolving the substrates around a rotary shaft; a vacuum container configured to accommodate the rotary table and configured such that a space formed between the vacuum container and the one surface is separated into a first processing region and a second processing region, and the substrates repeatedly and alternately pass through the first and second processing regions; a vacuum chuck mechanism provided in the rotary table and including suction ports opened to placement regions on which the substrates are placed, to suction and fix the substrates, and suction flow paths provided to communicate with the suction ports; and a switching mechanism configured to switch an operation status of the vacuum chuck mechanism between a full fixed state and a selective release state.

Methods for filling a substrate feature with a seamless dielectric gap fill are described. Methods comprise sequentially depositing a film with a seam and partially etching the film in the same processing chamber. Methods and apparatus allow for the same hardware to be used for PEALD deposition of a film as well as plasma etch of the film.

Methods for filling a substrate feature with a seamless metal gate fill are described. Methods comprise sequentially depositing a film on a substrate surface having at least one feature thereon. The at least one feature extends a feature depth from the substrate surface to a bottom surface and has a width defined by a first sidewall and a second sidewall. The film is treated with an oxidizing plasma. Then the film is etched to remove the oxidized film. A second film is deposited to fill the feature, where the second film substantially free of seams and voids.

A plasma processing device member according to the disclosure includes a base material and a film formed of a rare-earth element oxide, or a rare-earth element fluoride, or a rare-earth element oxyfluoride, or a rare-earth element nitride, the film being disposed on at least part of the base material. The film includes a surface to be exposed to plasma, the surface having an arithmetic mean roughness Ra of 0.01 μm or more and 0.1 μm or less, the surface being provided with a plurality of pores, and a value obtained by subtracting an average equivalent circle diameter of the pores from an average distance between centroids of adjacent pores is 28 μm or more and 48 μm or less. A plasma processing device according to the disclosure includes the plasma processing device member described above.

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide methods and apparatus for forming a desired material layer on a substrate between, during, prior to or after a patterning process. In one embodiment, a method for forming a material layer on a substrate includes pulsing a first gas precursor onto a surface of a substrate, attaching a first element from the first gas precursor onto the surface of the substrate, maintaining a substrate temperature less than about 110 degrees Celsius, pulsing a second gas precursor onto the surface of the substrate, and attaching a second element from the second gas precursor to the first element on the surface of the substrate.

Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to protective coatings on various substrates including aerospace components and methods for depositing the protective coatings. In one or more embodiments, a method of forming a protective coating on an aerospace component includes forming an aluminum oxide layer on a surface of the aerospace component and depositing a boron nitride layer on or over the aluminum oxide layer during a vapor deposition process. In some examples, the method includes depositing a metal-containing catalytic layer on the aluminum oxide layer before depositing the boron nitride layer. The boron nitride layer can include hexagonal boron nitride (hBN).

An apparatus for sputter deposition of target material to a substrate is disclosed. In one form, the apparatus includes a substrate portion in which a substrate is provided and a target portion in which target material is provided, in use. The target portion and the substrate portion define between them a deposition zone. The apparatus includes an antenna arrangement for generating plasma, in use, and a confining arrangement. The confining arrangement includes a first element between the antenna arrangement and the deposition zone and a second element. The antenna arrangement is between the second element and the deposition zone. The first element confines the plasma towards the deposition zone to provide for sputter deposition of target material to the substrate, in use. The second element confines the plasma away from the second element, towards the antenna arrangement and, via the first element, towards the deposition zone, in use.

The current disclosure relates to deposition of a transition metal chalcogenide barrier layer. The method of depositing a transition metal chalcogenide barrier layer comprises providing a substrate having an opening into a reaction chamber, providing a transition metal precursor in the reaction chamber in vapor phase and providing an reactive chalcogen species in the reaction chamber. The method may be a plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition method. The disclosure further relates to an interconnect comprising a transition metal chalcogenide barrier layer.