Methods of manufacturing memory devices are provided. The method comprises pre-cleaning a top surface of a film stack, the film stack comprising alternating layers of a first material layer and a second material layer and having one or more of a memory hole and a slit pattern opening extending through the film stack; exposing the top surface of the film stack to a growth inhibitor; selectively depositing a silicon-containing dielectric layer in a region of the film stack; and densifying the silicon-containing dielectric layer. The processing method is performed in a processing tool without breaking vacuum.

A poling apparatus for poling a polymer thin film formed on a workpiece carried by a workpiece carrier. The workpiece has multiple grounding electrodes, grounding pads located at its edges, and a polymer thin film including multiple areas each covering only one grounding electrode. The poling apparatus includes, in a poling chamber, a poling source generating a plasma, a shadow mask below the poling source, and a Z-elevator to raise the workpiece carrier toward the shadow mask and poling source. When the workpiece in the workpiece carrier is raised to contact the underside of the shadow mask, multiple openings of the shadow mask expose only the corresponding multiple thin film areas of the workpiece to the plasma; meanwhile, conductive grounding terminals on the underside of the shadow mask electrically connect the grounding pads of the workpiece with carrier electrodes on the workpiece carrier, to ground the workpiece.

Embodiments herein provide for oxygen radical based treatment of silicon containing material layers deposited using a flowable chemical vapor deposition (FCVD) process. Oxygen radical based treatment of the FCVD deposited silicon containing material layers desirably increases the number of stable Si—O bonds, removes undesirably hydrogen and nitrogen impurities, and provides for further densification and excellent film quality in the treated silicon containing material layers. Embodiments include methods and apparatus for making a semiconductor device including: contacting a flowable layer of silicon containing material disposed on a substrate with a plurality of oxygen radicals under conditions sufficient to anneal and increase the density of the flowable layer of silicon containing material.

A gas delivery system for a substrate processing system includes a first manifold and a second manifold. A gas delivery sub-system selectively delivers gases from gas sources. The gas delivery sub-system delivers a first gas mixture to the first manifold and a second gas mixture. A gas splitter includes an inlet in fluid communication with an outlet of the second manifold, a first outlet in fluid communication with an outlet of the first manifold, and a second outlet. The gas splitter splits the second gas mixture into a first portion at a first flow rate that is output to the first outlet and a second portion at a second flow rate that is output to the second outlet. First and second zones of the substrate processing system are in fluid communication with the first and second outlets of the gas splitter, respectively.

Methods of manufacturing memory devices are provided. The method comprises pre-cleaning a top surface of a film stack, the film stack comprising alternating layers of a first material layer and a second material layer and having one or more of a memory hole and a slit pattern opening extending through the film stack; exposing the top surface of the film stack to a growth inhibitor; selectively depositing a silicon-containing dielectric layer in a region of the film stack; and densifying the silicon-containing dielectric layer. The processing method is performed in a processing tool without breaking vacuum.

A poling apparatus for poling a polymer thin film formed on a workpiece carried by a workpiece carrier. The workpiece has multiple grounding electrodes, grounding pads located at its edges, and a polymer thin film including multiple areas each covering only one grounding electrode. The poling apparatus includes, in a poling chamber, a poling source generating a plasma, a shadow mask below the poling source, and a Z-elevator to raise the workpiece carrier toward the shadow mask and poling source. When the workpiece in the workpiece carrier is raised to contact the underside of the shadow mask, multiple openings of the shadow mask expose only the corresponding multiple thin film areas of the workpiece to the plasma; meanwhile, conductive grounding terminals on the underside of the shadow mask electrically connect the grounding pads of the workpiece with carrier electrodes on the workpiece carrier, to ground the workpiece.

Sterilisation apparatus comprising a sterilisation instrument configured inserted through the instrument channel of a surgical scoping device and a withdrawal device for withdrawing the sterilisation instrument from the instrument channel predetermined rate. The sterilisation instrument comprises an elongate probe having probe tip with a first electrode and a second electrode arranged to produce an electric field from received RF and/or microwave frequency EM energy. In operation the instrument may disinfect an inner surface of the instrument channel by emitting energy whilst being withdrawn through the channel.

A surface preparation method (200) for a composite material (104) having an original surface (110), the material (104) comprising fibres (104a) within a matrix (104b), comprises removing (204) a surface portion of the matrix (104b) by plasma ablation so as to reveal and activate (206) a new surface (120) with at least a portion of a plurality of the fibres (104a) exposed thereon, without creating a residual heat-affected zone.

A system and method for manufacturing a lattice structure of ionized particles on a substrate, wherein the process may be improved by controlling the number of ionized particles that are ejected from an ionizer and directed to a substrate, and wherein the ionized particles are disposed on the substrate, thereby enabling the creation of a lattice structure that may be as thin as a single layer of ionized particles.

The disclosure relates to the technical field of semiconductors, and to a method, apparatus and system for processing a semiconductor structure. The processing method of the disclosure includes: providing a semiconductor substrate; forming a photoresist layer on the semiconductor substrate, the photoresist layer including an edge area and a middle area that are adjacently distributed, the edge area including a protrusion; detecting position information of the protrusion, and determining a target etching area according to the position information, the protrusion being located in the target etching area; and etching the photoresist layer located in the target etching area. By means of the processing method of the disclosure, the maintenance cost of a device can be reduced, and product yield can be improved.