In the present invention, a p-type silicon substrate is produced, a solution containing aluminum is misted, and the misted solution is sprayed onto the back surface of the p-type silicon substrate under non-vacuum to form a back surface passivation film made of the aluminum oxide film on the back surface of the p-type silicon substrate. Thereafter, a light irradiation processing in which an interface between the p-type silicon substrate and the back surface passivation film is irradiated with ultraviolet light is performed.

A method for forming a stair-step structure in a substrate within a plasma processing chamber is provided. An organic mask is formed over the substrate. The organic mask is trimmed with a vertical to lateral ratio of less than 0.8, wherein the trimming simultaneously forms a deposition over the organic mask. The substrate is etched. The steps of trimming the organic mask and etching the substrate are cyclically repeated a plurality of times.

A superconductor wire includes: a superconducting laminate that includes: a substrate and an intermediate layer; a superconductor layer, and a metal stabilization layer which are laminated on the substrate; and an insulation coating layer that covers an outer surface of the superconducting laminate and is formed by baking a resin material. Further, a maximum height Rz of at least a part of the outer surface of the superconducting laminate covered with the insulation coating layer is 890 nm or less.

A method of conditioning a vacuum chamber of a semiconductor substrate processing apparatus includes forming a layer of an organic polymeric film on plasma or process gas exposed surfaces thereof. The method includes: (a) flowing a first reactant in vapor phase of a diacyl chloride into the vacuum chamber; (b) purging the vacuum chamber after a flow of the first reactant has ceased; (c) flowing a second reactant in vapor phase into the vacuum chamber selected from the group consisting of a diamine, a diol, a thiol, and a trifunctional compound to form a layer of an organic polymeric film on the plasma or process gas exposed surfaces of the vacuum chamber; and (d) purging the vacuum chamber to purge excess second reactant and reaction byproducts from the vacuum chamber.

The present invention relates to a method for coating a substrate, in particular a superconducting tape conductor, in a vacuum environment, comprising: generating a metallic material in the gas phase, feeding the gaseous metallic material into an expansion chamber, wherein the expansion chamber is adapted to cause the gaseous metallic material to expand and be directed towards the substrate, and depositing the metallic material on at least part of the surface of the substrate. Further, the present invention relates to a coated superconducting tape conductor comprising: at least one superconducting layer and at least one metallic coating deposited on the tape conductor, wherein the thickness of the metallic coating is at least 1 m and varies over the width of the coated tape conductor by no more than 10%, preferably no more than 5%.