A method of forming a gallium oxide film is provided, and the method may include supplying mist of a material solution comprising gallium atoms and chlorine atoms to a surface of a substrate while heating the substrate so as to form the gallium oxide film on the surface of the substrate, in which a molar concentration of chlorine in the material solution is equal to or more than 3.0 times and equal to or less than 4.5 times a molar concentration of gallium in the material solution.

A material deposition system comprises a dopant source containing at least one dopant precursor material, an inert gas source containing at least one noble gas, and a physical vapor deposition apparatus in selective fluid communication with the dopant source and the inert gas source. The physical vapor deposition apparatus comprises a housing structure, a target electrode, and a substrate holder. The housing structure is configured and positioned to receive at least one feed fluid stream comprising the at least one dopant precursor material and the at least one noble gas. The target electrode is within the housing structure and is in electrical communication with a signal generator. The substrate holder is within the housing structure and is spaced apart from the target electrode. A method of forming a microelectronic device, a microelectronic device, a memory device, and an electronic system are also described.

A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device including a TiN film. The method comprises: supplying TiCl.sub.4 gas to a substrate; purging the TiCl.sub.4 gas; supplying NH.sub.3 gas to the substrate; purging the NH.sub.3 gas; and supplying an inhibitor that inhibits adsorption of TiCl.sub.4 or NH.sub.3 to the substrate. A plurality of cycles each including the supplying the TiCl.sub.4 gas, the purging the TiCl.sub.4 gas, the supplying the NH.sub.3 gas, and the purging the NH.sub.3 gas are performed, at least a part of the plurality of cycles includes the supplying the inhibitor, and after the supplying the inhibitor is performed, the supplying the TiCl.sub.4 gas or the supplying the NH.sub.3 gas is performed without purging the inhibitor, or, after purging the inhibitor for a shorter time than the purging the TiCl.sub.4 gas or the purging the NH.sub.3 gas, the supplying the TiCl.sub.4 gas or the supplying the NH.sub.3 gas is performed.

A semiconductor device and a method of forming the same are provided. The method includes forming a sacrificial gate structure over an active region. A first spacer layer is formed along sidewalls and a top surface of the sacrificial gate structure. A first protection layer is formed over the first spacer layer. A second spacer layer is formed over the first protection layer. A third spacer layer is formed over the second spacer layer. The sacrificial gate structure is replaced with a replacement gate structure. The second spacer layer is removed to form an air gap between the first protection layer and the third spacer layer.

Described are precursor compounds and methods for atomic layer deposition of films containing scandium(III) oxide or scandium(III) sulfide. Such films may be utilized as dielectric layers in semiconductor manufacturing processes, particular for depositing dielectric films and the use of such films in various electronic devices.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, a method of forming a thin film using a surface protection material, the method comprising: supplying a metal precursor to the inside of a chamber in which a substrate is placed so that the metal precursor is adsorbed to the substrate; purging the interior of the chamber; and supplying a reaction material to the inside of the chamber so that the reaction material reacts with the adsorbed metal precursor to form the thin film, wherein before forming the thin film, the method further comprises: supplying the surface protection material to the inside of the chamber so that the surface protection material is adsorbed to the substrate; and purging the interior of the chamber.

Exemplary methods of semiconductor processing may include etching one or more features partially through a stack of layers formed on a substrate. The methods may include halting the etching prior to penetrating fully through the stack of layers formed on the substrate. The methods may include forming a layer of carbon-containing material along the stack of layers on the substrate. The layer of carbon-containing material may include a metal. The methods may include etching the one or more features fully through the stack of layers on the substrate.

A semiconductor device and fabrication method thereof are provided. The fabrication method include: providing a to-be-etched material layer; forming a plurality of discrete sacrificial layers on the to-be-etched material layer; forming first initial spacers on sidewalls of each of the discrete sacrificial layers. Each first initial spacer includes a first bottom region and a first top region on the first bottom region; removing the discrete sacrificial layers. The method further includes: removing the first top region of each first initial spacer to form a first spacer from each first bottom region; forming second spacers on sidewalls of each of the first spacers. Each second spacer includes a second bottom region and a second top region on the second bottom region; removing the first spacers; The method further includes: removing the second top regions by etching; and etching the to-be-etched material layer by using the second spacers as a mask.

A coating liquid for forming a metal oxide film, the coating liquid including: a metal source, which is at least one selected from the group consisting of inorganic salts, oxides, hydroxides, metal complexes, and organic acid salts; at least one alkali selected from the group consisting of organic alkalis and inorganic alkalis; and a solvent.

Methods for depositing oxide thin films, such as metal oxide, metal silicates, silicon oxycarbide (SiOC) and silicon oxycarbonitride (SiOCN) thin films, on a substrate in a reaction space are provided. The methods can include at least one plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) cycle including alternately and sequentially contacting the substrate with a first reactant that comprises oxygen and a component of the oxide, and a second reactant comprising reactive species that does not include oxygen species. In some embodiments the plasma power used to generate the reactive species can be selected from a range to achieve a desired step coverage or wet etch rate ratio (WERR) for films deposited on three dimensional features. In some embodiments oxide thin films are selectively deposited on a first surface of a substrate relative to a second surface, such as on a dielectric surface relative to a metal or metallic surface.