A method of fabricating a semiconductor device includes providing a substrate, implementing a growth procedure to form a semiconductor layer supported by the substrate, performing an anneal of the semiconductor layer, the anneal being conducted at a higher temperature than the growth procedure, and repeating the growth procedure and the anneal. The anneal is conducted at or above a decomposition temperature for the semiconductor layer.

Provided are a crack-free laminated film and a structure including this laminated film. This laminated film includes: a buffer layer; and at least one layer of gallium nitride base film disposed on the buffer layer. Moreover, the compression stress of the entire laminated film is −2.0 to 5.0 GPa.

A multi-layer thin film composite is formed by applying a thin film formed from non-single-crystalline oxide onto a substrate; applying a protection film onto the thin film; and supplying energy to the thin film through at least one of the protection film or the substrate.

Methods for DRAM device with a buried word line are described. The method includes forming a metal cap layer and a molybdenum conductor layer in a feature on a substrate. The method includes depositing the metal cap layer on the substrate by physical vapor deposition (PVD) and depositing the molybdenum conductor layer by atomic layer deposition (ALD) on the metal cap layer.

Various forms of Mg.sub.xGe.sub.1-xO.sub.2-x are disclosed, where the Mg.sub.xGe.sub.1-xO.sub.2-x are epitaxial layers formed on a substrate comprising a substantially single crystal substrate material. The epitaxial layer of Mg.sub.xGe.sub.1-xO.sub.2-x has a crystal symmetry compatible with the substrate material. Semiconductor structures and devices comprising the epitaxial layer of Mg.sub.xGe.sub.1-xO.sub.2-x are disclosed, along with methods of making the epitaxial layers and semiconductor structures and devices.

The present disclosure describes epitaxial oxide high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs). In some embodiments, a HEMT comprises: a substrate; a first epitaxial semiconductor layer on the substrate; and a second epitaxial semiconductor layer on the first epitaxial semiconductor layer. The first epitaxial semiconductor layer can comprise a first oxide material, wherein the first oxide material can comprise a first polar material with an orthorhombic, tetragonal or trigonal crystal symmetry, and wherein the first oxide material can comprise a first conductivity type formed via polarization. The second epitaxial semiconductor layer can comprise a second oxide material.

In some embodiments, a method of processing a substrate disposed atop a substrate support in a physical vapor deposition process chamber includes: (a) forming a plasma from a process gas within a processing region of the physical vapor deposition chamber, wherein the process gas comprises an inert gas to sputter silicon from a surface of a target within the processing region of the physical vapor deposition chamber; and (b) depositing an amorphous silicon layer atop a first layer on the substrate, wherein the first layer comprises one or more metal oxides of indium (In), gallium (Ga), zinc (Zn), tin (Sn) or combinations thereof.

A metal oxide film including a crystal part and having highly stable physical properties is provided. The size of the crystal part is less than or equal to 10 nm, which allows the observation of circumferentially arranged spots in a nanobeam electron diffraction pattern of the cross section of the metal oxide film when the measurement area is greater than or equal to 5 nmφ and less than or equal to 10 nmφ.

The present invention provides methods to sputter deposit films comprising alkali metal compounds. At least one target comprising one or more alkali metal compounds and at least one metallic component is sputtered to form one or more corresponding sputtered films. The at least one target has an atomic ratio of the alkali metal compound to the at least one metallic component in the range from 15:85 to 85:15. The sputtered film(s) incorporating such alkali metal compounds are incorporated into a precursor structure also comprising one or more chalcogenide precursor films. The precursor structure is heated in the presence of at least one chalcogen to form a chalcogenide semiconductor. The resultant chalcogenide semiconductor comprises up to 2 atomic percent of alkali metal content, wherein at least a major portion of the alkali metal content of the resultant chalcogenide semiconductor is derived from the sputtered film(s) incorporating the alkali metal compound(s). The chalcogenide semiconductors are useful in microelectronic devices, including solar cells.

A method for manufacturing a semiconductor substrate according to the present invention includes preparing a seed substrate containing a semiconductor material, forming an ion implanted layer at a certain depth from a front surface of a main surface of the seed substrate by implanting ions into the seed substrate, growing a semiconductor layer on the main surface of the seed substrate with a vapor-phase synthesis method, and separating a semiconductor substrate including the semiconductor layer and a part of the seed substrate by irradiating the front surface of the main surface of at least any of the semiconductor layer and the seed substrate with light.