A method includes forming a protruding structure, and forming a non-conformal film on the protruding structure using an Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) process. The non-conformal film includes a top portion directly over the protruding structure, and a sidewall portion on a sidewall of the protruding structure. The top portion has a first thickness, and the sidewall portion has a second thickness smaller than the first thickness.

A method includes forming a dummy gate electrode on a semiconductor region, forming a first gate spacer on a sidewall of the dummy gate electrode, and removing an upper portion of the first gate spacer to form a recess, wherein a lower portion of the first gate spacer remains, filling the recess with a second gate spacer, removing the dummy gate electrode to form a trench, and forming a replacement gate electrode in the trench.

A substrate processing method includes: supplying a first processing liquid containing a chelating agent and a solvent from a first tank toward a substrate having a film of a metal formed on a surface thereof to generate a complex containing the metal and the chelating agent while rotating the substrate; and supplying a second processing liquid containing water toward the substrate to dissolve the complex in the second processing liquid while rotating the substrate, after the complex is generated.

Provided is a method of producing a quaternary alkyl ammonium hypochlorite solution with an excellent storage stability. Specifically, provided is a method of producing a quaternary alkyl ammonium hypochlorite solution, the method including: a preparation step in which a quaternary alkyl ammonium hydroxide solution is prepared and the concentration of amines in the quaternary alkyl ammonium hydroxide solution is set to 20 ppm by mass or less; and a reaction step in which the quaternary alkyl ammonium hydroxide solution is brought into contact with chlorine gas, wherein the concentration of carbon dioxide of a gas phase in the reaction step is 100 ppm by volume or less and the pH of a liquid phase in the reaction step is 10.5 or more.

A treatment liquid is a treatment liquid including water; a cationic compound; an anionic compound selected from the group consisting of a resin having a carboxy group or a salt thereof, a resin having a sulfo group or a salt thereof, a resin having a phosphorous acid group or a salt thereof, and a resin having a phosphoric acid group or a salt thereof; and an oxidizing agent, in which the treatment liquid has a pH of 7.0 or less, and the treatment liquid is substantially free of abrasive grains.

Disclosed in the present invention is a rare-earth doped semiconductor material. Compounds of two rare-earth elements R and R′ having different functions are introduced into an indium oxide containing material. The coupling of R element ions to an O2p orbit can effectively enhance the transfer efficiency of the rare-earth R′ as a photogenerated electron transfer center, such that the light stability of a device with a small amount of R′ doping can be achieved. Compared with single rare-earth element R′ doping, due to less doping, the impact on a mobility is less, such that higher mobility and light stability devices can be obtained. Further provided in the present invention is a semiconductor-based thin-film transistor, and an application.

Embodiments disclosed herein describe methods of forming semiconductor devices. The methods may include etching vias and trenches in a middle-of-line (MOL) layer that has a low-k dielectric layer, a sacrificial nitride layer, and a hard mask layer. The methods may also include depositing a thin nitride layer within the via trench, depositing a carbon layer on the thin nitride layer within the vias and trenches, etching back the thin nitride layer to expose a portion of the hard mask layer, removing the hard mask layer and the carbon layer, and removing the thin nitride layer and the sacrificial nitride layer.

A method for treating a substrate includes arranging a substrate in a processing chamber. At least one of a vaporized solvent and a gas mixture including the solvent is supplied to the processing chamber to form a conformal liquid layer of the solvent on exposed surfaces of the substrate. The at least one of the vaporized solvent and the gas mixture is removed from the processing chamber. A reactive gas including a halogen species is supplied to the processing chamber. The conformal liquid layer adsorbs the reactive gas to form a reactive liquid layer that etches the exposed surfaces of the substrate.

The present disclosure provides example embodiments relating to conductive features, such as metal contacts, vias, lines, etc., and methods for forming those conductive features. In an embodiment, portions of an adhesion layer, barrier layer and/or seed layer is protected by a layer of an organic mask material as portions of the adhesion layer, barrier layer and/or seed layer are removed. The layer of organic mask material is modified to improve its resistance to penetration by wet etchants used to remove exposed portions of the adhesion layer, barrier layer and/or seed layer. An example modification includes treating the layer of organic mask material with a surfactant that is absorbed into the layer of organic mask material.

A substrate processing method is executed by a substrate processing apparatus. The substrate processing apparatus includes a processing tank, and a bubble supply pipe disposed in the processing tank. In the substrate processing method, a substrate holding section immerses a substrate in an alkaline processing liquid stored in the processing tank. A bubble supply section supplies bubbles to the alkaline processing liquid from below the substrate with the substrate immersed in the alkaline processing liquid, the bubbles being supplied from a plurality of bubble holes provided in the bubble supply pipe.