Exemplary methods of semiconductor processing may include providing a silicon-containing precursor to a processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber. The methods may include depositing a silicon-containing layer on surfaces defining the processing region of the semiconductor processing chamber. The methods may include forming a plasma of a hydrogen-containing precursor within the processing region of the semiconductor processing chamber. The methods may include depositing a silicon-containing material on a substrate disposed within the processing region of the semiconductor processing chamber.

PECVD methods for depositing a film at a low deposition rate comprising intermittent activation of the plasma are disclosed. The flowable film can be deposited using at least a polysilane precursor and a plasma gas. The deposition rate of the disclosed processes may be less than 500 Å/min.

Localized stresses can be modulated in a film deposited on a bowed semiconductor substrate by selectively and locally curing the film by ultraviolet (UV) radiation. A bowed semiconductor substrate can be asymmetrically bowed. A UV-curable film is deposited on the front side or the backside of the bowed semiconductor substrate. A mask is provided between the UV-curable film and a UV source, where openings in the mask are patterned to selectively define exposed regions and non-exposed regions of the UV-curable film. Exposed regions of the UV-curable film modulate localized stresses to mitigate bowing in the bowed semiconductor substrate.

Methods and systems for forming a structure including a silicon carbide layer and structures formed using the methods and systems are disclosed. Exemplary methods include providing a silicon carbide precursor to the reaction chamber, forming a plasma within the reaction chamber to form an initially flowable, viscous silicon carbide material on a surface of the substrate, wherein the initially viscous carbon material becomes the silicon carbide layer. Exemplary methods can include use of a silicon carbide precursor that includes a carbon-carbon triple bond and/or use of a relatively low plasma power density (e.g., less than 3 W/cm.sup.2).

Embodiments described herein relate to a method of epitaxial deposition of p-channel metal oxide semiconductor (MMOS) source/drain regions within horizontal gate all around (hGAA) device structures. Combinations of precursors are described herein, which grow of the source/drain regions on predominantly <100> surfaces with reduced or negligible growth on <110> surfaces. Therefore, growth of the source/drain regions is predominantly located on the top surface of a substrate instead of the alternating layers of the hGAA structure. The precursor combinations include a silicon containing precursor, a germanium containing precursor, and a boron containing precursor. At least one of the precursors further includes chlorine.

A porous layer is described. The porous layer comprises a solidified sol-gel inorganic material having a distribution of nanometric voids, wherein at least some of nanometric voids are at least partially coated internally by carbon or a hydrophobic substance containing carbon.

A semiconductor device and a process of forming the semiconductor device are disclosed. The semiconductor device type of a high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) has double SiN films on a semiconductor layer, where the first SiN film is formed by the lower pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) technique, while, the second SiN film is deposited by the plasma assisted CVD (p-CVD) technique. Moreover, the gate electrode has an arrangement of double metals, one of which contains nickel (Ni) as a Schottky metal, while the other is free from Ni and covers the former metal. A feature of the invention is that the first metal is in contact with the semiconductor layer but apart from the second SiN film.

A processing chamber such as a plasma etch chamber can perform deposition and etch operations, where byproducts of the deposition and etch operations can build up in a vacuum pump system fluidly coupled to the processing chamber. A vacuum pump system may have multiple roughing pumps so that etch gases can be diverted a roughing pump and deposition precursors can be diverted to another roughing pump. A divert line may route unused deposition precursors through a separate roughing pump. Deposition byproducts can be prevented from forming by incorporating one or more gas ejectors or venturi pumps at an outlet of a primary pump in a vacuum pump system. Cleaning operations, such as waferless automated cleaning operations, using certain clean chemistries may remove deposition byproducts before or after etch operations.

Exemplary semiconductor processing methods may include flowing deposition gases that may include a nitrogen-containing precursor, a silicon-containing precursor, and a carrier gas, into a substrate processing region of a substrate processing chamber. The flow rate ratio of the nitrogen-containing precursor to the silicon-containing precursor may be greater than or about 1:1. The methods may further include generating a deposition plasma from the deposition gases to form a silicon-and-nitrogen containing layer on a substrate in the substrate processing chamber. The silicon-and-nitrogen-containing layer may be treated with a treatment plasma, where the treatment plasma is formed from the carrier gas without the silicon-containing precursor. The flow rate of the carrier gas in the treatment plasma may be greater than a flow rate of the carrier gas in the deposition plasma.

There is provided a plasma generating device that includes a first electrode connected to a high-frequency power supply, and a second electrode to be grounded, a buffer structure configured to form a buffer chamber that accommodates the first and second electrodes wherein the first electrode and the second electrode are alternately arranged such that a number of electrodes of the first electrode and the second electrode are in an odd number of three or more in total, and wherein the second electrode is used in common for two of the first electrode being respectively adjacent to the second electrode used in common, and wherein a gas supply port that supplies gas into a process chamber is installed on a wall surface of the buffer structure.