A method of removing a nitride-containing by-product from a component of a semiconductor apparatus includes heating the component to a predetermined temperature for a predetermined duration, wherein the nitride-containing by-product is transformed into an oxide-containing or oxynitride-containing product by the heating; and removing the oxide-containing or oxynitride-containing product with an acid solution. Another method of removing a by-product from a component of a semiconductor apparatus includes heating the component to a predetermined temperature; cooling the component from the predetermined temperature to a room temperature; rinsing the component with an acid solution including and HNO.sub.3 after the component is cooled; and washing the by-product and the acid solution off the component.

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to forming a ternary compound using a modified atomic layer deposition (ALD) process. In a non-limiting embodiment of the invention, a first precursor and a second precursor are selected. The first precursor includes a first metal and a first ligand. The second precursor includes a second metal and a second ligand. The second ligand is selected based on the first ligand to target a second metal uptake. A substrate is exposed to the first precursor during a first pulse of an ALD cycle and the substrate is exposed to the second precursor during a second pulse of the ALD cycle, the second pulse occurring after the first pulse. The substrate is exposed to a third precursor (e.g., an oxidant) during a third pulse of the ALD cycle. The ternary compound can include a ternary oxide film.

Described is a low power, high-density a 1T-1C (one transistor and one capacitor) memory bit-cell, wherein the capacitor comprises a pillar structure having ferroelectric material (perovskite, improper ferroelectric, or hexagonal ferroelectric) and conductive oxides as electrodes. In various embodiments, one layer of the conductive oxide electrode wraps around the pillar capacitor, and forms the outer electrode of the pillar capacitor. The core of the pillar capacitor can take various forms.

A semiconductor device according to an embodiment includes a silicon carbide layer, a silicon oxide layer having a peak frequency of a longitudinal wave optical mode of 1245 cm.sup.1 or more at a position 0.5 nm away from the silicon carbide layer, and a region located between the silicon carbide layer and the silicon oxide layer and having a nitrogen concentration of 110.sup.21 cm.sup.3 or more. The concentration distribution of nitrogen in the silicon carbide layer, the silicon oxide layer, and the region has a peak in the region.

An etching method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes step (a), step (b), step (c), step (d), and step (e). Step (a) provides a substrate that has a silicon-containing film which does not include oxygen and nitrogen, and a mask formed on the silicon-containing film. Step (b) etches the silicon-containing film with plasma generated from a first processing gas that includes a halogen-containing gas to form a recess portion. Step (c) forms an oxide film in the recess portion with plasma generated from a second processing gas that includes an oxygen-containing gas and a gas including carbon, hydrogen, and fluorine. Step (d) further etches the silicon-containing film with the plasma generated from the first processing gas after step (c). Step (e) repeatedly executes step (c) and step (d) a preset number of times.

Methods of forming silicon nitride on a sidewall of a feature are disclosed. Exemplary methods include providing a substrate comprising a feature comprising a sidewall surface and a surface adjacent the sidewall surface, forming a silicon oxide layer overlying the sidewall surface and the surface adjacent the sidewall surface, using a cyclical deposition process, depositing a silicon nitride layer overlying the silicon oxide layer, and exposing the silicon nitride layer to activated species generated from a hydrogen-containing gas. Exemplary methods can additionally include selectively removing a portion of the silicon nitride layer. Structures formed using the methods and systems for performing the methods are also disclosed.