Methods and techniques for deposition of amorphous carbon films on a substrate are provided. In one example, the method includes depositing an amorphous carbon film on an underlayer positioned on a susceptor in a first processing region. The method further includes implanting a dopant or the inert species into the amorphous carbon film in a second processing region. The implant species, energy, dose & temperature in some combination may be used to enhance the hardmask hardness. The method further includes patterning the doped amorphous carbon film. The method further includes etching the underlayer.

Processing methods described herein comprise forming a metal gate film on a narrow feature and a wide feature and depositing a hard mask on the metal gate film. The hard mask forms on the metal gate film at a top, bottom and sidewalls of the wide feature and on a top of the narrow feature to cover the metal gate film. Some processing methods comprise oxidizing the metal gate film on the narrow feature to convert a portion of the metal gate film to a metal oxide film. Some processing methods comprise etching the metal oxide film from the narrow feature to leave a gradient etch profile. Some processing methods comprise filling the narrow feature and the wide feature with a gap fill material comprising one or more of a metal nitride, titanium nitride (TiN) or titanium oxynitride (TiON), the gap fill material substantially free of seams and voids.

A film formation method for selectively forming a film on a substrate includes: a preparation step of preparing a substrate having a surface on which a first film and a second film are exposed; a first film forming step of supplying a compound for forming a self-assembled monolayer onto the substrate to form the self-assembled monolayer on the first film, the compound having a functional group including fluorine and carbon and suppressing formation of a third film; a second film forming step of forming the third film on the second film; and a first removal step of removing the third film formed in a vicinity of the self-assembled monolayer by irradiating the surface of the substrate with ions or active species, wherein the third film is a film which forms a volatile compound more easily than the first film by being bonded to fluorine and carbon in the self-assembled monolayer.

A method of nitridation includes cyclically performing the following steps in situ within a processing chamber at a temperature less than about 400° C.: treating an unreactive surface of a substrate in the processing chamber to convert the unreactive surface to a reactive surface by exposing the unreactive surface to an energy flux, and nitridating the reactive surface using a nitrogen-based gas to convert the reactive surface to a nitride layer including a subsequent unreactive surface.

Methods and systems for forming a structure including multiple carbon layers and structures formed using the methods or systems are disclosed. Exemplary methods include forming a first carbon layer with an initial first flowability and a second carbon layer with an initial second flowability, wherein first flowability is less than second flowability.

The present disclosure generally relates to substrate processing methods, such as etching methods with noble gases at low temperatures. In an aspect, the method includes exposing a substrate, a first layer comprising a gas, and a fluorine-containing layer to energy to form a passivation layer while maintaining the substrate at conditions encompassing a triple point temperature of the gas, the substrate positioned in a processing region of a processing chamber. The method further includes etching the substrate with ions.

Methods and systems for filling a recess on a surface of a substrate with carbon-containing material are disclosed. Exemplary methods include forming a first carbon layer within the recess, etching a portion of the first carbon layer within the recess, and forming a second carbon layer within the recess. Structures formed using the method or system are also disclosed.

Methods of forming treated silicon nitride layers are disclosed. Exemplary methods include forming a silicon nitride layer overlying the substrate by providing a silicon precursor to the reaction chamber for a silicon precursor pulse period, providing a nitrogen reactant to the reaction chamber for a reactant pulse period, during a deposition process applying a first plasma power having a first frequency for a first plasma power period, and during a treatment step, applying a second plasma power having a second frequency for a second plasma power period.

Methods of depositing silicon oxide on carbon-based films on a substrate involve adsorbing a silicon-containing reactant on the substrate surfaces, generating oxygen radicals from N2O, and exposing the adsorbed silicon-containing reactant to the oxygen radicals to form a silicon oxide film. In some embodiments, the carbon-based films form features having sidewalls. The methods result in low carbon loss and substantially vertical sidewalls. Embodiments of the methods are performed at high temperatures that facilitate high quality deposition.

Methods of forming silicon nitride. Silicon nitride is formed on a substrate by atomic layer deposition at a temperature of less than or equal to about 275° C. The as-formed silicon nitride is exposed to a plasma. The silicon nitride may be formed as a portion of silicon nitride and at least one other portion of silicon nitride. The portion of silicon nitride and the at least one other portion of silicon nitride may be exposed to a plasma treatment. Methods of forming a semiconductor structure are also disclosed, as are semiconductor structures and silicon precursors.