There is provided a substrate processing method which includes: treating a substrate using a fluorine-containing gas; and exposing the substrate to a moisture-containing atmosphere.

A semiconductor manufacturing method is disclosed. The method includes: providing a first wafer and a second wafer, wherein the first wafer and the second wafer are bonded together; submerging the bonded first and second wafers in an ultrasonic transmitting medium; producing ultrasonic waves; and directing the ultrasonic waves to the bonded first and second wafers through the ultrasonic transmitting medium for a predetermined time period. An associated semiconductor manufacturing system for at least weakening a bonding strength of bonded wafers is also disclosed.

Implementations of the present disclosure generally relate to methods and apparatuses for epitaxial deposition on substrate surfaces. More particularly, implementations of the present disclosure generally relate to methods and apparatuses for surface preparation prior to epitaxial deposition. In one implementation, a method of processing a substrate is provided. The method comprises etching a surface of a silicon-containing substrate by use of a plasma etch process, where at least one etching process gas comprising chlorine gas and an inert gas is used during the plasma etch process and forming an epitaxial layer on the surface of the silicon-containing substrate.

Methods and apparatus for processing a substrate are described herein. Methods for passivating dielectric materials include forming alkyl silyl moieties on exposed surfaces of the dielectric materials. Suitable precursors for forming the alkyl silyl moieties include (trimethylsilyl)pyrrolidine, aminosilanes, and dichlorodimethylsilane, among others. A capping layer may be selectively deposited on source/drain materials after passivation of the dielectric materials. Apparatus for performing the methods described herein include a platform comprising a transfer chamber, a pre-clean chamber, an epitaxial deposition chamber, a passivation chamber, and an atomic layer deposition chamber.

A method includes receiving a carrier, the carrier including a carrier body, a first filter, and a housing securing the first filter to the carrier body. The method further includes uninstalling the housing from the carrier, replacing the first filter with a second filter, reinstalling the housing on the carrier body, and inspecting the second filter. Inspecting the second filter includes using an automatic inspection mechanism to detect surface flatness of the second filter.

The present disclosure relates to a substrate processing method, and more particularly, to a substrate processing method for removing an oxide film formed on a substrate. In accordance with an exemplary embodiment, a substrate processing method that processes a substrate loaded into a chamber, includes: supplying a nitrogen-containing gas to an inner space of a plasma generator disposed outside the chamber; activating the nitrogen-containing gas in the inner space; supplying a hydrogen-containing gas to the inner space; and supplying the nitrogen-containing gas activated in the inner space and the hydrogen-containing gas onto the substrate.

There is provided a method of producing a microstructure that comprises employing a hydrogen fluoride (HF) vapour to etch a sacrificial layer of silicon dioxide (SiO.sub.2) and thereafter removing a residual layer formed when HF vapour etching the layer of silicon dioxide. The residual layer may comprise silicon, ammonium salt or carbon and various techniques are disclosed for removing such layers. These techniques may be applied concurrently, or sequentially, to the microstructure. The described methodologies therefore produce microstructures that exhibits reduced levels of residue when as compared to those techniques known in the art.

The present disclosure is directed to methods in situ generation of a hydrogen halide for use in an etching process for selective etching of a material from other(s) on a surface layer of a substrate, to methods of etching utilizing the in situ generated hydrogen halide, and to systems carrying the out the disclosed processes.

A method of manufacturing a display apparatus, the method includes removing an oxide layer formed on a surface of a substrate by utilizing a hydrofluoric acid gas and an ammonia gas, and thermally treating the substrate from which the oxide layer has been removed. A flow ratio between the hydrofluoric acid gas and the ammonia gas is about 0.8:1 to about 1:1.

There is provided a method of producing a microstructure that comprises employing a hydrogen fluoride (HF) vapour to etch a sacrificial layer of silicon dioxide (SiO.sub.2) and thereafter removing a residual layer formed when HF vapour etching the layer of silicon dioxide. The residual layer may comprise silicon, ammonium salt or carbon and various techniques are disclosed for removing such layers. These techniques may be applied concurrently, or sequentially, to the microstructure. The described methodologies therefore produce microstructures that exhibits reduced levels of residue when as compared to those techniques known in the art.