A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to an embodiment is a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device including performing a first etching process of forming a recess in a layer to be processed formed on a substrate by reactive ion etching using a first gas, performing a first process of supplying hydrogen radicals to the recess by using a second gas containing hydrogen in a state where a temperature of the substrate is equal to or more than 200° C. and equal to or less than 350° C. after the first etching process, and performing a second etching process of etching a bottom surface of the recess by reactive ion etching using a third gas after the first process.

A plasma etching method and a semiconductor device fabrication method, the plasma etching method including providing a source power having a first single pulse to an electrostatic chuck in order to generate a plasma on a substrate; providing a first bias power having a burst pulse different from the first single pulse to concentrate the plasma on the substrate; and providing a second bias power having a second single pulse the same as the first single pulse to accelerate the plasma toward the substrate.

A semiconductor device includes a nitride semiconductor layer, an insulating layer provided on a surface of the nitride semiconductor layer, and a metal electrode in contact with the surface through an opening penetrating the insulating layer. The insulating layer includes a first SiN film having a concentration of chlorine (Cl) of 1×10.sup.20 [atoms/cm.sup.3] or more and a thickness of 30 nm or less, and a second SiN film having a concentration of chlorine (Cl) of 1×10.sup.19 [atoms/cm.sup.3] or less.

A plasma processing apparatus includes a chamber having a gas inlet and a gas outlet; a plasma generator; and a controller configured to cause: (a) providing a substrate including a silicon-containing film and a mask formed on the film; (b) etching the silicon-containing film through the mask to the first depth, thereby forming a recess in the silicon-containing film; (c) forming a protection film at least on the mask and a side wall of the recess formed on the silicon-containing film after (a); and (d) etching the silicon containing film through the mask to a second depth, the second depth being greater than the first depth.

A method includes forming a first semiconductor fin and a second semiconductor fin over a substrate that both extend along a first direction. The method includes forming a dielectric fin extending along the first direction and is disposed between the first and second semiconductor fins. The method includes forming a dummy gate structure extending along a second direction and straddling the first and second semiconductor fins and the dielectric fin. The method includes removing a portion of the dummy gate structure over the dielectric fin to form a trench by performing an etching process that includes a plurality of stages. Each of the plurality of stages includes a combination of anisotropic etching and isotropic etching such that a variation of a distance between respective inner sidewalls of the trench along the second direction is within a threshold.

The present invention relates to a focus ring for improvement of a semiconductor plasma etching process, which is circular, penetrates vertically into the middle portion thereof, and has a plurality of slots equally spaced apart from one another by a given distance on the edge periphery of the underside thereof in a longitudinal direction thereof, wherein so as to allow a plasma to be dispersed and exhausted uniformly at a fast speed through the slots, each slot becomes increased or decreased in diameter in a direction from top to bottom thereof to thus have a top diameter and a bottom diameter different from each other, and otherwise, each slot is rounded inward from both of top and bottom peripheries thereof.

A method for the dry removal of a material on a microelectronic workpiece is described. The method includes receiving a workpiece having a surface exposing a target layer composed of silicon and either (1) organic material or (2) both oxygen and nitrogen, and selectively removing at least a portion of the target layer from the workpiece. The selective removal includes exposing the surface of the workpiece to a chemical environment containing N, H, and F at a first setpoint temperature to chemically alter a surface region of the target layer, and then, elevating the temperature of the workpiece to a second setpoint temperature to remove the chemically treated surface region of the target layer.

A substrate processing method is provided. In the method, a substrate is provided. A monomer that is chemically bonded to the substrate is supplied onto the substrate. An initiator for polymerizing the monomer is supplied to the substrate having the supplied monomer thereon, thereby forming a polymer film.

A method of manufacturing a memory structure including the following steps is provided. A spacer layer is formed on sidewalls of gate stack structures. A protective material layer covering the spacer layer and the gate stack structures is formed. A mask material layer is formed on the protective material layer. There is a void located in the mask material layer between two adjacent gate stack structures. A first distance is between a top of the protective material layer and a top of the mask material layer. A second distance is between a top of the void and a top of the mask material layer above the void. A third distance is between a bottom of the void and a bottom of the mask material layer below the void. The first distance is greater than a sum of the second and third distances.

A plasma processing method includes: providing a substrate including: (a) an etching target film; (b) a photoresist film on an upper surface of the etching target film, having a side surface that defines at least one opening in the upper surface of the etching target film; and (c) a first film including a first portion on an upper surface of the photoresist film and second portion on the side surface of the photoresist film, the first portion having a film thickness larger than that of the second portion; and trimming at least a part of the side surface of the photoresist film and at least a part of the second portion of the first film.