A method of manufacturing nitride semiconductor substrate, comprising: providing silicon-on-insulator substrate which comprises an underlying silicon layer, a buried silicon dioxide layer and a top silicon layer; forming a first nitride semiconductor layer on the top silicon layer; forming, in the first nitride semiconductor layer, a plurality of notches which expose the top silicon layer; removing the top silicon layer and forming a plurality of protrusions and a plurality of recesses on an upper surface of the buried silicon dioxide layer, wherein each of the plurality of protrusions is in contact with the first nitride semiconductor layer, and there is a gap between each of the plurality of recesses and the first nitride semiconductor layer; and epitaxially growing a second nitride semiconductor layer on the first nitride semiconductor layer, such that the first nitride semiconductor layer and the second nitride semiconductor layer form a nitride semiconductor substrate.

A manufacturing method for a semiconductor structure includes: patterning and etching a semiconductor substrate to form a concave region; forming a first protective layer on a surface of the semiconductor substrate, the surface of the semiconductor substrate being a surface of a non-etched region except the concave region; forming an isolation structure in the concave region; and removing the first protective layer on the surface of the semiconductor substrate.

A semiconductor structure with an improved metal structure is described. The semiconductor structure can include a substrate having an upper surface, an interconnect layer over the upper surface, and an additional structure deposited over the interconnect layer. The interconnect layer can include a patterned seed layer over the substrate, at least two metal lines over the seed layer, and a dielectric material between adjacent metal lines. A barrier layer can be deposited over the at least two metal lines. Methods of making the semiconductor structures are also described.

Methods and apparatus for processing a substrate are provided herein. For example, a method of processing a substrate comprises a) removing oxide from a metal layer disposed in a dielectric layer on the substrate disposed in a processing chamber, b) selectively depositing a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) on the metal layer using atomic layer deposition, c) depositing a precursor while supplying water to form one of an aluminum oxide (AlO) layer on the dielectric layer or a low-k dielectric layer on the dielectric layer, d) supplying at least one of hydrogen (H.sub.2) or ammonia (NH.sub.3) to remove the self-assembled monolayer (SAM), and e) depositing one of a silicon oxycarbonitride (SiOCN) layer or a silicon nitride (SiN) layer atop the metal layer and the one of the aluminum oxide (AlO) layer on the dielectric layer or the low-k dielectric layer on the dielectric layer.

A method for manufacturing a semiconductor structure includes: a substrate is provided; the substrate is etched to form a blind hole, a sidewall of the blind hole has a first roughness; at least one planarization process is performed on the sidewall of the blind hole until the sidewall of the blind hole has a preset roughness less than the first roughness. The planarization process includes: a first sacrificial layer is formed on the sidewall of the blind hole; a reaction source gas is provided such that the reaction source gas reacts with the first sacrificial layer and a portion of the substrate at the sidewall of the blind hole to form a second sacrificial layer; and the second sacrificial layer is removed, and after the second sacrificial layer is removed, the sidewall of the blind hole has a second roughness less than the first roughness.

A semiconductor structure for a DRAM is described having multiple layers of arrays of memory cells. Memory cells in a vertical string extending through the layers have an electrical connection to one terminal of the memory cells in that string. Word lines couple the strings together. Each layer of the array also includes bit line connections to memory cells on that layer. Select transistors enable the use of folded bit lines. The memory cells preferably are thyristors. Methods of fabricating the array are described.

A semiconductor structure with an improved metal structure is described. The semiconductor structure can include a substrate having an upper surface, an interconnect layer over the upper surface, and an additional structure deposited over the interconnect layer. The interconnect layer can include a patterned seed layer over the substrate, at least two metal lines over the seed layer, and a dielectric material between adjacent metal lines. A barrier layer can be deposited over the at least two metal lines. Methods of making the semiconductor structures are also described.

A substrate processing method includes (A) supplying to the substrate a first processing liquid containing a removing agent for deposit, a solvent having a boiling point lower than that of the removing agent and a thickener, (B), after (A), supplying to the substrate a second processing liquid containing an organic polymer to be a gas diffusion barrier film, (C), after (B), heating the substrate at a predetermined temperature equal to or higher than the boiling point of the solvent and lower than the boiling point of the removing agent to promote evaporation of the solvent and reaction between the deposit and the removing agent, and (D), after (C), supplying a rinsing liquid to the substrate to remove the deposit from the substrate. The gas diffusion barrier film prevents a gaseous reactive product generated by the reaction in (C) from diffusing around the substrate.

The present invention relates to a composition for selectively etching silicon on a surface on which a metal film and silicon (Si) are exposed.

According to the present invention, it is possible to improve etch selectivity of silicon on the semiconductor surface on which the metal film and silicon are exposed.

A substrate processing method with an improved etch selectivity includes: a first operation for forming a film on a stepped structure having a top surface, a bottom surface, and a side surface connecting the top surface and the bottom surface, wherein a first atmosphere is set to reduce a mean free path of plasma ions and to cause the plasma ions to have no directionality; and a second operation for changing a bonding structure of a portion of the film, wherein a second atmosphere is set to cause the plasma ions to have directionality, wherein the first operation is repeated a plurality of times, the second operation is performed for a predetermined time period, the first operation and the second operation form a group cycle, and the group cycle is repeated by a plurality of times.