An etching method according to one embodiment, includes alternately switching a first step and a second step. The first step introduces a first gas containing a fluorine atom without supplying radiofrequency voltage to form a surface layer on a surface of a target cooled at a temperature equal to or lower than a liquefaction temperature of the first gas. The second step introduces a second gas gaseous at the first temperature and different from the first gas, and supplies the radiofrequency voltage, to generate plasma from the second gas to etch the target by sputtering using the plasma.

A wafer placement table includes an alumina base that has a wafer placement surface on its upper surface, and incorporates an electrode; a brittle cooling base bonded to a lower surface of the alumina base; and a ductile connection member stored in a storage hole, opened in a lower surface of the cooling base, in a state of restricted axial rotation and in a state of engaging with an engagement section of the storage hole, the ductile connection member having a male thread section or a female thread section.

A ceramic structure includes a base body, and a thermoelectric device having a part in directly contact with the base body. The base body is a ceramic consisting of aluminum oxide. The thermoelectric device comprises a conductor part that is a sintered body having an alloy of tungsten and rhenium, as a main component, and including nickel oxide, aluminum oxide and silicon dioxide.

A wafer placement table includes a central ceramic base that has an upper surface including a wafer placement surface, an outer circumferential ceramic base that has an upper surface including a focus ring placement surface, and a cooling base that includes a central portion, an outer circumferential portion, and a coupler that couples the central portion and the outer circumferential portion with each other. The cooling base has a central refrigerant flow path that is formed in the central portion and an outer circumferential refrigerant flow path that is formed in the outer circumferential portion. The coupler has an upward groove that open from an upper surface and that have an annular shape, and a downward groove that opens from a lower surface, that have a ceiling surface higher than a bottom surface of the upward groove, and that have an annular shape.

A stage apparatus includes a lower stage that moves in a Y-axis direction, an upper stage that floats from the lower stage and moves at least in an X-axis direction orthogonal to the Y-axis direction, a heat exchanger that cools a Y table of the lower stage with a refrigerant, and a control device that controls an inclination of the lower stage with reference to the Y table cooled by the heat exchanger.

Methods and apparatus for processing a substrate are provided herein. For example, a method for processing a substrate includes applying at least one of low frequency RF power or DC power to an upper electrode formed from a high secondary electron emission coefficient material disposed adjacent to a process volume; generating a plasma comprising ions in the process volume; bombarding the upper electrode with the ions to cause the upper electrode to emit electrons and form an electron beam; and applying a bias power comprising at least one of low frequency RF power or high frequency RF power to a lower electrode disposed in the process volume to accelerate electrons of the electron beam toward the lower electrode.

Semiconductor chamber components are described herein that includes one or more conduits for carrying a fluid between powered and grounded portions of the chamber component, the conduit configure to be less prone to arcing as compared to conventional components. In one example, a semiconductor chamber component is provided that includes a powered region, a grounded region, and a fluid conduit. The fluid conduit is disposed within the semiconductor chamber component and passes through the powered and grounded regions. The fluid conduit has an end to end electrical resistance of between 0.1 to 100 MΩ.

A system and corresponding method for electron cryomicroscopy, comprising: a field-emission gun for generating an electron beam, the field-emission gun being energized, in use, to generate a 80 keV to 120 keV electron beam which is emitted into a vacuum enclosure and towards a specimen holder; the vacuum enclosure containing, at least in part: an objective lens for focusing an image of the specimen, the objective lens being disposed in the path of the electron beam and having a chromatic aberration coefficient, Cc, selected to achieve a resolution value better than a desired amount; the specimen holder for holding a specimen, the specimen holder being disposed in the path of the electron beam; a cryostage for cooling a specimen; a cryo-shield for surrounding a specimen and reducing an ice contamination rate of the specimen; and a direct electron detector comprising an array of pixels, each pixel capable of detecting an incident electron that has passed through a sample and struck the pixel.

Provided is a pipe holding connection structure configured so that the width of the entire structure is reduced and so that the number of parts and the number of assembly work processes are reduced. This pipe holding connection structure is provided with: a housing affixed so as to air-tightly close the opening of a vacuum container; a first pipe having a portion near an end portion thereof extending through both the opening and the housing; and a second pipe having a female thread part engaging with a male thread part located at the end portion. The pipe has a locking part. Fluid is caused to flow through both the pipes. Pieces of packing are provided between the pipe and the housing and between the pipe and an end portion of the pipe, respectively. This pipe holding connection structure can be used for a high-frequency antenna device.

The invention provides a sputter deposition assembly that includes a sputtering chamber, a sputtering target, and a magnet assembly. The magnet assembly includes a two-part magnetic backing plate that includes first and second plate segments, of which at least one is laterally adjustable. Also provided are methods of operating the sputter deposition assembly.