A method of preparing a structured substrate of interest including the following steps: providing a substrate of interest including a thin film, onto which a protective layer has been bonded by direct bonding, depositing a resin, and etching the thin film and a portion of the support substrate through openings in the resin, to form pads, bonding a temporary substrate to the substrate of interest, then separating them, whereby the protective layer is separated from the substrate of interest, the resin being removed prior to the bonding step or during the separation, the protective layer/thin film adhesion energy being lower than the temporary substrate/protective layer adhesion energy or than the resin/protective layer adhesion energy.

A method of forming silicon within a gap on a surface of a substrate. The method includes use of two or more pyrometers to measure temperatures at two or more positions on a substrate and/or a substrate support and a plurality of heaters that can be divided into zones of heaters, wherein the heaters or zones of heaters can be independently controlled based on the measured temperatures and desired temperature profiles.

A method of fabricating a semiconductor device comprises forming a mold layer on a substrate, forming a hardmask layer on the mold layer such that a portion of the mold layer is exposed, and using the hardmask layer to perform on the mold layer a cryogenic etching process. The cryogenic etching process includes supplying a chamber with a process gas including first and second process gases, and generating a plasma from the process gas. Radicals of the first process gas etch the exposed portion of the mold layer. Ammonium salt is produced based on the radicals etching the exposed portion of the mold layer. The second process gas includes an ROH compound. The R is hydrogen, a C1 to C5 alkyl group, a C2 to C6 alkenyl group, a C2 to C6 alkynyl group, or a phenyl group. The second process gas reduces a production rate of the ammonium salt.

An example of an etching method according to the present disclosure, includes: performing a first process which includes forming a first layer containing halogen or holding the substrate in a gas atmosphere containing halogen; and performing a second process which includes removing a portion of the first layer and a portion of the substrate under the portion of the first layer by supplying the portion of the first layer with ions sourced from a solid material.

Methods for filling a substrate feature with a seamless dielectric gap fill are described. Methods comprise sequentially depositing a film with a seam and partially etching the film in the same processing chamber. Methods and apparatus allow for the same hardware to be used for PEALD deposition of a film as well as plasma etch of the film.

Methods for selective etching of one layer or material relative to another layer or material adjacent thereto. In an example, a SiGe layer is etched relative to or selective to another silicon containing layer which either contains no germanium or geranium in an amount less than that of the target layer.

An apparatus and methods for selectively etching a particular layer are disclosed. The apparatus and methods are directed towards maintaining the etch rate of the particular layer, while keeping intact a non-etched layer. A gas mixture may be flowed onto the substrate in separate loops having an oxide layer and an oxynitride layer as an etch layer and a nitride layer as a non-etched layer, for example. A reaction between the resulting gas mixture and the particular layer takes place, resulting in etching of the oxide layer and the oxynitride layer while maintaining the nitride layer in the above example.

A plasma processing apparatus including a sample stage; a ring-shaped electrode, made of a conductor, which surrounds the sample stage and to which radio frequency power is supplied; a dielectric cover above the ring-shaped electrode and covering the ring-shaped electrode; a rod suspended and disposed in a through hole disposed on an outer peripheral side portion of the base material having a disc or cylindrical shape and forming the sample stage, and having a connector portion on an upper end portion of the rod connected to the ring-shaped electrode; a beam-shaped member below the sample stage below the through hole with a gap therebetween and extending in a horizontal direction, and which urges the rod upward with respect to the ring-shaped electrode; and a radio frequency power source that is connected to the rod and to the ring-shaped electrode.

A substrate processing system includes a processing chamber, a substrate support, a heat source, a gas delivery system and a controller. The substrate support is disposed in the processing chamber and supports a substrate. The heat source heats the substrate. The gas delivery system supplies a process gas to the processing chamber. The controller controls the gas delivery system and the heat source to iteratively perform an isotropic atomic layer etch process including: during an iteration of the isotropic atomic layer etch process, performing pretreatment, atomistic adsorption, and pulsed thermal annealing; during the atomistic adsorption, exposing a surface of the substrate to the process gas including a halogen species that is selectively adsorbed onto an exposed material of the substrate to form a modified material; and during the pulsed thermal annealing, pulsing the heat source multiple times within a predetermined period to expose and remove the modified material.

The present disclosure describes a method includes forming a fin structure including a fin bottom portion and a stacked fin portion on a substrate. The stacked fin portion includes a first semiconductor layer and a second semiconductor layer, in which the first semiconductor layer includes germanium. The method further includes etching the fin structure to form an opening, delivering a primary etchant and a germanium-containing gas to the fin structure through the opening, and etching a portion of the second semiconductor layer in the opening with the primary etchant and the germanium-containing gas.