A method of fabricating a transistor structure with silicide layers includes providing a substrate. A gate structure is disposed on the substrate. Two composite spacers are respectively disposed at two sides of the gate structure. Later, two source/drain doping regions are respectively formed in the substrate at two sides of the gate structure. Then, a protective material layer is formed to cover the gate structure and the two composite spacers. Subsequently, the protective material layer is etched to form two protective layers contacting the substrate and respectively covering the two composite spacers. Next, a cleaning process is performed to clean the residues from etching the protective material layer. Finally, a silicide process is performed to form numerous silicide layers respectively disposed on the source/drain doping regions outside of the protective layers and on the gate structure.

The present disclosure includes apparatuses and methods related to freezing a sacrificial material in forming a semiconductor. In an example, a method may include solidifying, via freezing, a sacrificial material in an opening of a structure, wherein the sacrificial material has a freezing point below a boiling point of a solvent used in a wet clean operation and removing the sacrificial material via sublimation by exposing the sacrificial material to a particular temperature range.

A method for cleaning a substrate includes supplying a vapor to a processing chamber to grow a polymer film on a substrate in the processing chamber; adding a solution to the polymer film on the substrate to create a viscoelastic fluid on the substrate; and removing the viscoelastic fluid to remove particle contaminants from the substrate.

Methods for processing a substrate are provided. The method includes receiving a substrate. The substrate has a front side surface, a backside surface, and a side edge surface. The method also includes coating the front side surface, the backside surface and the side edge surface with a self-assembled monolayer and exposing an area of interest with actinic radiation. The actinic radiation causes a de-protection reaction within the self-assembled monolayer within the central region. The method also includes removing the self-assembled monolayer from the area of interest while the self-assembled monolayer remains on remaining surfaces of the substrate.

A system for removing flux from openings formed in a substrate that has openings (e.g., sized 20 microns or less) formed therein includes a spay nozzle device that has a spray nozzle arm that is formed at an angle of about 45 degrees or less for discharging fluid towards the openings in the substrate for flux removal. The angle is between about 30 degrees and 45 degrees.

A composition for use in selective modification of a base material surface includes a polymer having, at an end of a main chain or a side chain thereof, a group including a first functional group capable of forming a bond with a metal, and a solvent.

In an example, a wet cleaning process is performed to clean a structure having features and openings between the features while preventing drying of the structure. After performing the wet cleaning process, a polymer solution is deposited in the openings while continuing to prevent any drying of the structure. A sacrificial polymer material is formed in the openings from the polymer solution. The structure may be used in semiconductor devices, such as integrated circuits, memory devices, MEMS, among others.

A method for selectively modifying a base material surface, includes applying a composition on a surface of a base material to form a coating film. The coating film is heated. The base material includes a surface layer which includes a first region including a metal. The composition includes a first polymer and a solvent. The first polymer includes at an end of a main chain or a side chain thereof, a group including a first functional group capable of forming a bond with the metal. It is preferred that the base material further includes a second region comprising substantially only a non-metal, and the method further includes, after the heating, removing with a rinse agent a portion formed on the second region, of the coating film. The metal is preferably a constituent of a metal substance, an alloy, an oxide, an electrically conductive nitride or a silicide.

The present disclosure includes apparatuses and methods related to freezing a sacrificial material in forming a semiconductor. In an example, a method may include solidifying, via freezing, a sacrificial material in an opening of a structure, wherein the sacrificial material has a freezing point below a boiling point of a solvent used in a wet clean operation and removing the sacrificial material via sublimation by exposing the sacrificial material to a particular temperature range.

In an example, a wet cleaning process is performed to clean a structure having features and openings between the features while preventing drying of the structure. After performing the wet cleaning process, a polymer solution is deposited in the openings while continuing to prevent any drying of the structure. A sacrificial polymer material is formed in the openings from the polymer solution. The structure may be used in semiconductor devices, such as integrated circuits, memory devices, MEMS, among others.