Redeposition of substrate material on a fiducial resulting from charged particle beam (CPB) or laser beam milling of a substrate can be reduced with a shield formed on the substrate surface. The shield typically has a suitable height that can be selected based on proximity of an area to be milled to the fiducial. The shield can be formed with the milling beam using beam-assisted chemical vapor deposition (CVD). The same or different beams can be used for milling and beam-assisted CVD.

A method includes depositing a second dielectric layer over a first dielectric layer, depositing a third dielectric layer over the second dielectric layer, patterning a plurality of first openings in the third dielectric layer, etching the second dielectric layer through the first openings to form second openings in the second dielectric layer, performing a plasma etching process directed at the second dielectric layer from a first direction, the plasma etching process extending the second openings in the first direction, and etching the first dielectric layer through the second openings to form third openings in the first dielectric layer.

In a plasma reactor a pumping compartment is separate from a plasma-treating compartment by a structure which includes a central frame. The frame is suspended to the casing of the reactor via spokes. The spokes allow free expansion and contraction of the frame under thermal loading. The slits between the spokes do not allow plasma ignition there and provide for a small flow resistance between the treatment compartment and the pumping compartment. The frame may act as a downholding member for a substrate on the smaller electrode.

A method includes depositing a second dielectric layer over a first dielectric layer, depositing a third dielectric layer over the second dielectric layer, patterning a plurality of first openings in the third dielectric layer, etching the second dielectric layer through the first openings to form second openings in the second dielectric layer, performing a plasma etching process directed at the second dielectric layer from a first direction, the plasma etching process extending the second openings in the first direction, and etching the first dielectric layer through the second openings to form third openings in the first dielectric layer.

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes: preparing a stepped structure being arranged on a substrate, the stepped structure including a first region and a second region, a height of the stepped structure of the second region being lower than a height of the stepped structure of the first region; and etching the first region and the second region of the stepped structure by irradiating the first region and the second region with an ion beam, an irradiation amount of the ion beam irradiating the first region is larger than an irradiation amount of the ion beam irradiating the second region.

An improved ANAB system or process substantially or fully eliminating contaminant particles from reaching a beam target by adding to the usual primary (first) ionizer of the ANAB system or process an additional (second) ionizer to ionize contaminant particles and means to block or retard the ionized particles to prevent their reaching the beam target.

The present invention discloses a stacked semiconductor chip structure and its process wherein the stacked semiconductor chip structure comprises a substrate as well as P-type semiconductor layers and N-type semiconductor layers which are stacked one by one on the substrate, wherein the P-type semiconductor layers and the N-type semiconductor layers are arranged alternately, there are at least two P-type semiconductor layers and at least two N-type semiconductor layers. The present invention uses the chemical vapor deposition method to stack and form the P-type semiconductor layers and the N-type semiconductor layers, uses the physical etching and the plasma cleaning to form the conducting layers and thus avoids using the photo masks, the photo resist and the mask aligners for the manufacture of semiconductor chips, reduces the complexity of semiconductor chip processes and increases the yield of semiconductor chip products.

Redeposition of substrate material on a fiducial resulting from charged particle beam (CPB) or laser beam milling of a substrate can be reduced with a shield formed on the substrate surface. The shield typically has a suitable height that can be selected based on proximity of an area to be milled to the fiducial. The shield can be formed with the milling beam using beam-assisted chemical vapor deposition (CVD). The same or different beams can be used for milling and beam-assisted CVD.

Methods and systems for implementing artificial intelligence enabled preparation end-pointing are disclosed. An example method at least includes obtaining an image of a surface of a sample, the sample including a plurality of features, analyzing the image to determine whether an end point has been reached, the end point based on a feature of interest out of the plurality of features observable in the image, and based on the end point not being reached, removing a layer of material from the surface of the sample.

A microelectronic device includes a substrate a platinum-containing layer over the substrate. The platinum-containing layer includes a first segment and a second segment adjacent to the first segment, and has a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface closer to the substrate than the first surface. A first spacing between the first segment and the second segment at the first surface is greater than a second spacing between the first segment and the second segment at the second surface. A width of the first segment along the first surface is less than twice a thickness of the first segment, and the second spacing is less than twice the thickness of the first segment.