Devices and methods for selectively etching a metal nitride layer are disclosed. The methods comprise an oxidation step and an etching step which are optionally separated by a purge, and which can be repeated in a cyclical etching process.

The substrate joining method is a substrate joining method for joying two substrates, including a hydrophilic treatment step of hydrophilizing at least one of respective joint surfaces of the two substrates that are to be joined to each other and a joining step of joining the two substrates after the hydrophilic treatment step. The hydrophilic treatment step includes a step of performing a N.sub.2 RIE treatment to perform reactive ion etching using N.sub.2 gas on the joint surfaces of the substrates and a step of performing a N.sub.2 radical treatment to irradiate the joint surfaces of the substrates with N.sub.2 radicals after the step of performing the N.sub.2 RIE treatment.

A substrate processing method includes housing, in a processing container, a substrate having an insulating film on a surface of the substrate; exposing the insulating film to plasma generated from a gas including deuterium gas in a state where the substrate housed in the processing container is maintained at a first temperature, to introduce deuterium into the insulating film; and heat-treating the insulating film without exposing the insulating film to the plasma in a state where the substrate housed in the processing container is controlled to be at a second temperature that is different from the first temperature, to adjust concentration of the deuterium introduced into the insulating film.

A method for processing a substrate is described. A first reactant in vapor phase is introduced into a reaction chamber having the substrate therein. The first reactant is allowed to be adsorb onto the substrate surface. The non-reactive portion of the first reactant is purged from the reaction chamber after a flow of the first reactant has ceased. The second reactant is introduced in vapor phase into the reaction chamber while the first reactant is adsorbed onto the substrate surface. The second reactant comprises a 1:1:1 ratio of dihydrogen (H2), a nitrogen-containing reactant, and an oxygen-containing reactant. A plasma is ignited based on the second reactant. The substrate surface is exposed to the plasma. The plasma is extinguished. Gas from the reaction chamber is purged.

Device for hydrogen sulfide plasma dissociation includes a plasma chemical reactor including an arc plasma generator that has a cathode and an anode; the anode having a working surface for contacting hydrogen sulfide plasma, wherein the working surface is made from a material that includes stainless steel, tungsten or molybdenum; the cathode having a tip for arc attachment where a cathode spot is formed, wherein the cathode tip is made from pure tungsten, pure molybdenum, a tungsten or molybdenum alloy with tungsten as a major component or a composite material in which tungsten or molybdenum is the major component; and a flow path configured to have an inlet for gaseous hydrogen sulfide for dissociation in plasma into hydrogen and sulfur, and an outlet for gaseous products of hydrogen sulfide plasma dissociation. Optionally, the alloy or composite material has up to 10% low work function elements (thorium, cerium, lanthanum, or zirconium).

A method and apparatus for tungsten gap-fill in semiconductor devices are provided. The method includes performing a gradient oxidation process to oxidize exposed portions of a liner layer, wherein the gradient oxidation process preferentially oxidizes an overhang portion of the liner layer, which obstructs or blocks top openings of one or more features formed within a field region of a substrate. The method further includes performing an etchback process to remove or reduce the oxidized overhang portion of the liner layer, exposing the liner layer to a chemical vapor transport (CVT) process to remove metal oxide remaining from the gradient oxidation process and the etchback process, and performing a tungsten gap-fill process to fill or partially fill the one or more features.

Methods include producing a plurality of carbon particles in a plasma reactor, functionalizing the plurality of carbon particles in-situ in the plasma reactor to promote adhesion to a binder, and combining the plurality of carbon particles with the binder to form a composite material. The plurality of carbon particles comprises 3D graphene, where the 3D graphene comprises a pore matrix and graphene nanoplatelet sub-particles in the form of at least one of: single layer graphene, few layer graphene, or many layer graphene. Methods also include producing a plurality of carbon particles in a plasma reactor; functionalizing, in the plasma reactor, the plurality of carbon particles to promote chemical bonding with a resin; and combining, within the plasma reactor, the functionalized plurality of carbon particles with the resin to form a composite material.

A method of forming a structure on a substrate includes forming a tungsten nucleation layer within at least one feature. The method includes forming the nucleation layer via a cyclic vapor deposition process. The cyclic vapor deposition process includes forming a portion of the nucleation layer and then exposing the exposing the nucleation layer a chemical vapor transport (CVT) process to remove impurities from the portion of the nucleation layer. The CVT process may be performed at a temperature of 400 degrees Celsius or less and comprises forming a plasma from a processing gas comprising greater than or equal to 90% of hydrogen gas of a total flow of hydrogen gas and oxygen.

Methods include producing tunable carbon structures and combining carbon structures with a polymer to form a composite material. Carbon structures include crinkled graphene. Methods also include functionalizing the carbon structures, either in-situ, within the plasma reactor, or in a liquid collection facility. The plasma reactor has a first control for tuning the specific surface area (SSA) of the resulting tuned carbon structures as well as a second, independent control for tuning the SSA of the tuned carbon structures. The composite materials that result from mixing the tuned carbon structures with a polymer results in composite materials that exhibit exceptional favorable mechanical and/or other properties. Mechanisms that operate between the carbon structures and the polymer yield composite materials that exhibit these exceptional mechanical properties are also examined.

One object of the present disclosure is to provide a production method of magnesium hydride that is free of carbon dioxide and has high production efficiency, a power generation system that does not emit carbon dioxide or radiation using magnesium hydride, and an apparatus for producing magnesium hydride; therefore, the method for producing magnesium hydride of the present disclosure comprises a procedure for irradiating a magnesium compound different from magnesium hydride with hydrogen plasma, and a procedure for depositing a magnesium product containing magnesium hydride on a depositor for depositing magnesium hydride disposed within the range in which hydrogen plasma is present, wherein the surface temperature of the depositor is kept no more than a predetermined temperature at which magnesium hydride precipitates.