Apparatus and methods related to forming films on sidewalls of memory cell stacks in memory and logic devices. In one approach, a silicon wafer is held in a chamber of an atomic layer deposition (ALD) reactor. A temperature in the reactor is controlled to a first temperature (e.g., room temperature or below) where a first gas reactant that is provided into the chamber condenses and is adsorbed on the target wafer or substrate. The first reactant or precursor is partly vaporized at a second temperature in the reactor that is greater than the first temperature. A second gas reactant is provided into the chamber. The second gas reactant reacts with the adsorbed portion of the first gas reactant in its activated state. The reaction product is a film on the sidewall of a memory cell stack or logic devices. The foregoing steps are repeated to form a desired thickness of the film.

A film deposition apparatus includes a process chamber, a rotary table, a first reaction gas supply part disposed in a first process region and configured to supply a first reaction gas, a second reaction gas supply part disposed in a second process region apart from the first reaction gas supply part in a circumferential direction of the rotary table and configured to supply a second reaction gas, and separation gas supply parts disposed in a separation region between the first reaction gas supply part and the second reaction gas supply part and configured to supply a separation gas for separating the first reaction gas and the second reaction gas. The separation gas supply parts are configured to supply, in addition to the separation gas, an additive gas for controlling adsorption of the first reaction gas or for etching a part of material components included in the first reaction gas.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure provide a technique capable of reducing an amount of deposits on a back surface of a rotary table. According to one aspect thereof, there is provided a technique that includes: a process chamber provided with process regions; a rotary table configured to rotate a substrate about a point outside the substrate such that the substrate sequentially passes through the process regions; and a rotator configured to rotate the rotary table, wherein the process regions include: a first region in which a process gas is supplied; and a second region in which an inert gas is supplied, and wherein a space corresponding to the second region below the rotary table is configured such that a pressure at the space corresponding to the second region below the rotary table is higher than a pressure at a space corresponding to the first region below the rotary table.

A film forming apparatus includes: first and second processing gas supply parts configured to supply first and second processing gases, respectively; a plasma-generating gas supply part configured to supply a plasma-generating gas; a plasma forming part configured to convert the plasma-generating gas into plasma; a receiving vessel inserted into an opening formed in a ceiling portion of a vacuum vessel, the receiving vessel having a bottom surface portion facing a rotary table and being engaged with the plasma forming part on an upper surface of the bottom surface portion; a dielectric shield member arranged between the receiving vessel and an inner peripheral surface of the opening; a height adjustment part configured to adjust an arrangement height position of the bottom surface portion; and one or more sealing parts configured to hermetically close a space between the vacuum vessel and the receiving vessel.

A film deposition method includes steps of: placing a substrate in a substrate receiving area of a susceptor provided in a vacuum chamber; evacuating the vacuum chamber; alternately supplying plural kinds of reaction gases to the substrate in the substrate receiving area from corresponding reaction gas supplying parts thereby to form a thin film on the substrate; supplying plasma including a chemical component that reacts with second reaction gas adsorbed on the substrate from a plasma generation part to the substrate when the thin film is being formed, thereby to alter the thin film on the substrate; and changing plasma intensity of the plasma supplied to the substrate, at a predetermined point of time to a different plasma intensity of the plasma that is generated and supplied to the substrate by the plasma generation part before the predetermined point of time.

Susceptor assemblies comprising a susceptor with a top surface with a plurality of recesses and a bottom surface are described. A heater is positioned below the susceptor to heat the susceptor. A shield is positioned between the bottom surface of the susceptor and the heater. The shield increases deposition uniformity across the susceptor.

A film-forming apparatus for forming a predetermined film on a substrate by plasma ALD includes a chamber, a stage, a shower head having an upper electrode and a shower plate insulated from the upper electrode, a first high-frequency power supply connected to the upper electrode, and a second high-frequency power supply connected to an electrode contained in the stage. A high-frequency power is supplied from the first high-frequency power supply to the upper electrode, thereby forming a high-frequency electric field between the upper electrode and the shower plate and generating a first capacitively coupled plasma. A high-frequency power is supplied from the second high-frequency power supply to the electrode, thereby forming a high-frequency electric field between the shower plate and the electrode in the stage and generating a second capacitively coupled plasma that is independent from the first capacitively coupled plasma.

A device, including a hydrophilic layer on a portion of an inner surface of a transparent polymer forming a body; wherein the hydrophilic layer includes a sulfonated inner surface of the transparent polymer, a silica, a silicon oxycarbide, an O.sub.2 plasma treatment of the transparent polymer, or a combination thereof. The device can be a nebulizer or a spray chamber, for example used in an inductively coupled plasma device. A method of making the device is also disclosed.

There is provided a technique that includes forming a film on at least one substrate by performing a cycle a predetermined number of times, the cycle including non-simultaneously performing: (a) performing a first set a number of times, the first set including non-simultaneously performing: supplying a precursor to the at least one substrate from at least one first ejecting hole of a first nozzle arranged along a substrate arrangement direction of a substrate arrangement region where the at least one substrate is arranged; and supplying a reactant to the at least one substrate; and (b) performing a second set a number of times, the second set including non-simultaneously performing: supplying the precursor to the at least one substrate from at least one second ejecting hole of a second nozzle arranged along the substrate arrangement direction of the substrate arrangement region; and supplying the reactant to the at least one substrate.

There is provided a technique that includes forming a film on at least one substrate by performing a cycle a predetermined number of times, the cycle including non-simultaneously performing: (a) performing a first set a number of times, the first set including non-simultaneously performing: supplying a precursor to the at least one substrate from at least one first ejecting hole of a first nozzle arranged along a substrate arrangement direction of a substrate arrangement region where the at least one substrate is arranged; and supplying a reactant to the at least one substrate; and (b) performing a second set a number of times, the second set including non-simultaneously performing: supplying the precursor to the at least one substrate from at least one second ejecting hole of a second nozzle arranged along the substrate arrangement direction of the substrate arrangement region; and supplying the reactant to the at least one substrate.