A cluster tool includes a plasma processing apparatus, a mobile replacement apparatus, and control circuitry. The plasma processing apparatus includes a vacuum transfer module, a position detection sensor, and a plasma processing module including a support member, a consumable ring, and a lifter pin. The mobile replacement apparatus includes a ring storage portion that stores the consumable ring, and a ring replacement robot that transfers the consumable ring. The control circuitry executes a ring replacement sequence including connecting the mobile replacement apparatus to the plasma processing module, placing the consumable ring in the ring storage portion on the lifter pin, detecting a position of the consumable ring on the lifter pin, adjusting the position of the consumable ring on the lifter pin, and placing the consumable ring on a ring support surface.

A substrate processing system comprises an edge computing device including processor that executes instructions stored in a memory to process an image or video captured by camera(s) of at least one of a substrate and a component of the substrate processing system. The component is associated with a robot transporting the substrate between processing chambers of the substrate processing system or between the substrate processing system and a second substrate processing system. The cameras are located along a travel path of the substrate. The instructions configure the processor to transmit first data from the image to a remote server via a network and to receive second data from the remote server via the network in response to transmitting the first data to the remote server. The instructions configure the processor to operate the substrate processing system according to the second data in an automated or autonomous manner.

Described is selective deposition of a silicon nitride (SiN) trap layer to form a memory device. A sacrificial layer is used for selective deposition in order to permit selective trap deposition. The trap layer is formed by deposition of a mold including a sacrificial layer, memory hole (MH) patterning, sacrificial layer recess from MH side, forming a deposition-enabling layer (DEL) on a side of the recess, and selective deposition of trap layer. After removing the sacrificial layer from a slit pattern opening, the deposition-enabling layer (DEL) is converted into an oxide to be used as blocking oxide.

There is provided a substrate processing apparatus with improved throughput by reconsidering a configuration of an apparatus including a batch type module and a single wafer type module. In a single wafer processing region according to single wafer processing of a processing block of the present invention, a buffer unit to and from which both a first transfer mechanism HTR and a center robot can hand over and receive a substrate(s) is provided. Therefore, the first transfer mechanism can collectively hand over and receive processed substrates and unprocessed substrates via the buffer unit. Therefore, a potential of the first transfer mechanism is drawn out, and the substrate processing apparatus having a high throughput can be provided.

A substrate processing method includes providing a substrate formed with a stacked film including at least an etching target film, an underlying layer disposed below the etching target film, and a mask disposed above the etching target film; etching the etching target film through the mask using plasma; and performing heat treatment on the substrate at a predetermined temperature after the etching. At least one of the mask and the underlying layer contains a transition metal.

Exemplary substrate processing systems may include a chamber body defining a transfer region. The systems may include a lid plate seated on the chamber body. The lid plate may define a first plurality of apertures and a second plurality of apertures. The systems may include a plurality of lid stacks equal to a number of the first plurality of apertures. Each lid stack may include a choke plate seated on the lid plate along a first surface of the choke plate. The choke plate may define a first aperture axially aligned with an associated aperture of the first plurality of apertures. The choke plate may define a second aperture axially aligned with an associated aperture of the second plurality of apertures. The choke plate may define protrusions extending from each of a top and bottom surface of the choke plate that are arranged substantially symmetrically about the first aperture.

Exemplary semiconductor processing methods may include providing an oxygen-containing precursor to a processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber. The methods may include forming a plasma of the oxygen-containing precursor to produce oxygen-containing plasma effluents. The methods may include contacting a substrate housed in the processing region with the oxygen-containing plasma effluents. The substrate may include a boron-and-nitrogen-containing material overlying a carbon-containing material. The boron-and-nitrogen-containing material comprises a plurality of openings. The methods may include etching the carbon-containing material.

A semiconductor device manufacturing method includes: forming an organic film composed of a polymer having a urea bond in a recess by supplying amine and isocyanate to a surface of a substrate having the recess; performing a predetermined process on the substrate on which the organic film is formed in the recess; and removing the organic film in the recess by heating the substrate that has been subjected to the predetermined process to depolymerize the organic film. The amine and the isocyanate have a terminal bifunctional linear chain structure having two functional groups at both ends of a linear chain. At least one of the amine or the isocyanate has side chains connected to the linear chain contained in the linear chain structure.

Embodiments herein relate to methods, apparatus, and systems for selectively etching a substrate. The substrate typically includes one or more layers of silicon and one or more layers of silicon germanium. The method may involve receiving the substrate in a process chamber; exposing the substrate to F.sub.2; and exposing the substrate to an additive, where exposing the substrate to F.sub.2 and to the additive results in selectively etching the silicon germanium compared to the silicon, and where the substrate is not exposed to plasma while exposed to F.sub.2. Use of the additive produces a more uniform etch rate for the material being etched than would otherwise be achieved in the absence of the additive.

A method and apparatus for forming a semiconductor device are provided. The method includes thermally treating a substrate having one or more silicon nanosheets formed thereon. Thermally treating the substrate includes positioning the substrate in a processing volume of a first processing chamber, the substrate having one or more silicon nanosheets formed thereon. Thermally treating the substrate further includes heating the substrate to a first temperature of more than about 250 degrees Celsius, generating hydrogen radicals using a remote plasma source fluidly coupled with the processing volume, and maintaining the substrate at the first temperature while concurrently exposing the one or more silicon nanosheets to the generated hydrogen radicals. The generated hydrogen radicals remove residual germanium from the one or more silicon nanosheets.