A method for preparing a silicon nitride film with a high deposition rate and a reduced damage to the substrate and/or the underlying layer formed under the silicon nitride film. The method for preparing a silicon nitride film contains the steps of irradiating a nitride with an ultraviolet light, and contacting the nitride irradiated with the ultraviolet light and a hydrogenated cyclic silane represented by a general formula Si.sub.nH.sub.2n, wherein n is 5, 6, or 7.

A film forming method includes adsorbing an aminosilane gas on a substrate having a recess in a surface of the substrate, depositing a silicon oxide film on the substrate by supplying an oxidizing gas to the substrate to oxidize the aminosilane gas adsorbed on the substrate, and performing a modifying process of the silicon oxide film by activating a mixed gas including nitrogen gas and hydrogen gas and supplying the activated mixed gas to the silicon oxide film.

A technique regarding film formation capable of forming a three-dimensional pattern successfully is provided. A film forming method for a processing target object is provided. The processing target object has a supporting base body and a processing target layer. The processing target layer is provided on a main surface of the supporting base body and includes protrusion regions. Each protrusion region is extended upwards from the main surface, and an end surface of each protrusion region is exposed when viewed from above the main surface. The film forming method includes a first process of forming a film on the end surface of each protrusion region; and a second process of selectively exposing one or more end surfaces by anisotropically etching the film formed through the first process.

Silicon-containing films, such as silicon oxide films, having high quality are deposited on semiconductor substrates using reactions of silicon-containing precursors in high temperature ALD processes. In some embodiments, provided precursors are suitable for deposition of silicon-containing films at temperatures of at least about 500° C., such as greater than about 550° C. For example, silicon oxide can be deposited at high temperature by a reaction of the silicon-containing precursor with an oxygen-containing reactant (e.g., O.sub.3 O.sub.2, H.sub.2O) on a substrate's surface. In some implementations, the suitable precursor includes at least one silicon-silicon bond, at least one leaving group (e.g., a halogen), and, optionally, at least one electron-donating group (e.g., an alkyl). The precursors are suitable, in some implementations, for both thermal ALD and for PEALD. In some embodiments, a single precursor is used in both thermal ALD and in PEALD during deposition of a single silicon oxide film.

There is provided a technique that includes (a) forming a first film on the substrate by supplying a film-forming agent to the substrate; (b) adding oxygen to the first film by supplying a first oxidizing agent to the substrate and oxidizing a part of the first film; and (c) changing the oxygen-added first film into a second film including an oxide film by supplying a second oxidizing agent to the substrate and oxidizing the oxygen-added first film.

There is provided a technique that includes: (a) supplying a first gas containing a predetermined element to the substrate; (b) supplying a second gas containing carbon and nitrogen to the substrate; (c) supplying a nitrogen-containing gas activated by plasma to the substrate; (d) supplying an oxygen-containing gas to the substrate; and (e) forming a film containing at least the predetermined element, oxygen, carbon, and nitrogen on the substrate by: performing a cycle a first number of times of two or more, the cycle performing (a) to (d); or performing a cycle once or more, the cycle performing (a) to (d) in this order.

Exemplary semiconductor processing methods may include providing a silicon-containing precursor to a processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber. A substrate may be disposed within the processing region of the semiconductor processing chamber. The methods may include forming a plasma of the silicon-containing precursor in the processing region. The plasma may be at least partially formed by an RF power operating at between about 50 W and 1,000 W, at a pulsing frequency below about 100,000 Hz, and at a duty cycle between about 5% and 95%. The methods may include forming a layer of material on the substrate. The layer of material may include a silicon-containing material.

Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to fabricating electronic devices, such as memory devices. In one or more embodiments, a method for forming a device includes forming a film stack on a substrate, where the film stack contains a plurality of alternating layers of oxide layers and nitride layers and has a stack thickness, and etching the film stack to a first depth to form a plurality of openings between a plurality of structures. The method includes depositing an etch protection liner containing amorphous-silicon on the sidewalls and the bottoms of the structures, removing the etch protection liner from at least the bottoms of the openings, forming a plurality of holes by etching the film stack in the openings to further extend each bottom of the openings to a second depth of the hole, and removing the etch protection liner from the sidewalls.

According to one aspect of a technique of the present disclosure, there is provided a substrate processing apparatus includes: a substrate support; a process chamber; an upstream side gas guide including: a housing connected to a side portion of the process chamber and extending in a direction away from the process chamber; and partition plates arranged in a vertical direction in the housing; a distributor provided with ejection holes arranged in the vertical direction such that a gas is capable of being supplied through the ejection holes between adjacent partition plates, between the housing and an uppermost partition plate or between the housing and a lowermost partition plate; and a process chamber heater provided between the process chamber and the distributor such that a part thereof is located near an adjacent portion of the housing.

Methods for reducing warpage of bowed semiconductor substrates, including providing a first substrate to a first station in a semiconductor processing chamber, providing a second substrate to a second station in the semiconductor processing chamber, concurrently depositing a first bow compensation layer of material on the backside of the first substrate at the first station and a first bow compensation layer of material on the backside of the second substrate at the second station, and depositing a second bow compensation layer of material on the backside of the first substrate, while the first substrate is at the first station and the second substrate is at the second station, and while not concurrently depositing material on the backside of the second substrate.