A processing chamber includes a ground shield and a cover ring. The ground shield includes an annular body, and at least one guide pin extending from the annular body. The cover ring is positioned on the ground shield, and includes an annular body including at least one recess. At least a part of the at least one guide pin is receivable in the at least one recess, an inner cylindrical ring extends from the annular body, and an outer cylindrical ring extends from the annular body and is radially separated from the inner cylindrical ring by a horizontally extending portion of the annular body.

This disclosure relates generally to a patterning structure including an underlayer and an imaging layer, as well as methods and apparatuses thereof. In particular embodiments, the underlayer provides an increase in radiation absorptivity and/or patterning performance of the imaging layer.

Methods and apparatuses for etching semiconductor material on substrates using atomic layer etching by chemisorption, by deposition, or by both chemisorption and deposition mechanisms in combination with oxide passivation are described herein. Methods involving atomic layer etching using a chemisorption mechanism involve exposing the semiconductor material to chlorine to chemisorb chlorine onto the substrate surface and exposing the modified surface to argon to remove the modified surface. Methods involving atomic layer etching using a deposition mechanism involve exposing the semiconductor material to a sulfur-containing gas and hydrogen to deposit and thereby modify the substrate surface and removing the modified surface.

A method of processing a substrate includes: providing a substrate having one or more mandrels comprising a mandrel material, wherein a layer of a spacer material coats horizontal surfaces and sidewalls of the one or more mandrels; and etching and completely removing the layer of the spacer material from the horizontal surfaces of the one or more mandrels and thereby exposing the mandrel material, without completely removing the spacer material residing at the sidewalls of the one or more mandrels. The etching includes exposing the substrate to a plasma formed using a mixture comprising a first gas and a polymer-forming gas, and wherein the etching comprises forming a polymer on the substrate. Polymer-forming gas may include carbon (C) and hydrogen (H).

A substrate processing apparatus includes a chamber including a processing room for processing of a substrate using an introduced gas and an exhaust room for exhausting the gas in the processing room, a shield member provided near a side wall of the chamber to separate the processing room and the exhaust room and including a hole allowing the processing room and the exhaust room to communicate with each other, the shield member being driven in a vertical direction, and a hollow relay member connected to a pipe connected to an instrument outside the chamber and configured to be driven in a horizontal direction. When the shield member reaches an upper position, the relay member is driven inwardly of the chamber to be connected to the shield member at its inward end to allow the processing room and the pipe to communicate with each other through the hole.

A film deposition method for forming a film of a reaction product includes adsorbing a first process gas to a surface of a substrate; reacting the first process gas and a second process gas to generate a reaction product; and modifying a surface of the reaction product by plasma activating a plasma processing gas and supplying the plasma processing gas to the substrate, wherein in the modifying the surface of the reaction product, a first plasma processing gas is supplied to form a flow of the first plasma processing gas in a direction parallel to the surface of the substrate over an entire surface of the substrate, and also a second plasma processing gas containing hydrogen containing gas is supplied at an upstream side of the flow of the first plasma processing gas in the direction parallel to the surface of the substrate.

A plasma processing apparatus includes a cylindrical electrode which has a lower end provided with an opening, an upper end that is a closed end, in which a process gas is introduced, and which obtains a plasma process gas upon application of the voltage, and a chamber that is a vacuum container provided with an opening. The cylindrical electrode, which has the upper end attached to the opening of the chamber via an insulation material, is extended in the chamber. The plasma processing apparatus also includes a rotation table carrying a workpiece to be processed by the process gas to a space below the opening of the cylindrical electrode, a shield covering the cylindrical electrode extended inside the chamber via a gap, and a spacer installed in the gap, and formed of an insulation material.

A charged particle beam apparatus according to this invention includes: a gas introduction chamber, into which raw gas is introduced; a plasma generation chamber connected to the gas introduction chamber; a coil that is wound along an outer circumference of the plasma generation chamber and to which high-frequency power is applied; an electrode arranged at a boundary between the gas introduction chamber and the plasma generation chamber and having a plurality of through-holes formed therein; a plasma electrode that is provided apart from the electrode; a detection unit for detecting whether or not the plasma has been ignited in the plasma generation chamber; and a controller that controls, based on the result of detection by the detection unit, a voltage to be supplied to the plasma electrode in association with a predetermined pressure for supplying the raw gas.

An inductively coupled plasma source for a focused charged particle beam system includes a conductive shield within the plasma chamber in order to reduce capacitative coupling to the plasma. The internal conductive shield is maintained at substantially the same potential as the plasma source by a biasing electrode or by the plasma. The internal shield allows for a wider variety of cooling methods on the exterior of the plasma chamber.

Focus ring assemblies for plasma processing apparatus are provided. In one example implementation, an apparatus includes a plasma source configured to generate a plasma. The apparatus includes a chamber configured to receive a workpiece. The apparatus includes a workpiece support contained in the chamber and configured to support the workpiece. The apparatus includes a focus ring assembly. The focus ring assembly includes a focus ring having an upper tier and a lower tier. An inner edge of the upper tier can be separated a lateral distance of at least about 3 mm from an outer edge of the workpiece located on the workpiece support.