A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device of an embodiment includes: forming a first film on a semiconductor layer containing silicon (Si), the first film containing a metal element and oxygen (O) and having a first thickness; and forming a second film between the semiconductor layer and the first film using radical oxidation, the second film containing silicon (Si) and oxygen (O) and having a second thickness larger than the first thickness.

Implementations of methods of singulating a plurality of die included in a substrate may include forming a plurality of die on a first side of a substrate, forming a backside metal layer on a second side of a substrate, applying a photoresist layer over the backside metal layer, patterning the photoresist layer along a die street of the substrate, and etching through the backside metal layer located in the die street of the substrate. The substrate may be exposed through the etch. The method may also include singulating the plurality of die included in the substrate through removing a substrate material in the die street.

Implementations of methods of singulating a plurality of die included in a substrate may include forming a plurality of die on a first side of a substrate, forming a backside metal layer on a second side of a substrate, applying a photoresist layer over the backside metal layer, patterning the photoresist layer along a die street of the substrate, and etching through the backside metal layer located in the die street of the substrate. The substrate may be exposed through the etch. The method may also include singulating the plurality of die included in the substrate through removing a substrate material in the die street.

A film formation method includes (A) to (C) below. (A) Providing a substrate including, on a surface of the substrate, a first region in which a first material is exposed and a second region in which a second material different from the first material is exposed. (B) Supplying, to the surface of the substrate, vapor of a solution that contains a raw material of a self-assembled monolayer and a solvent by which the raw material is dissolved, and selectively forming a self-assembled monolayer in the first region. (C) Forming a desired target film in the second region by using the self-assembled monolayer formed in the first region.

A surface treatment agent including a compound represented by the general formula HO—P(═O)R.sup.1R.sup.2 in which R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are each independently bonded to the phosphorus atom and are each independently a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, a fluorinated alkyl group, or an aromatic hydrocarbon group which may have a substituent, provided that R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are not hydrogen atoms at the same time, and an organic solvent.

A film formation method includes: preparing a substrate including, on its surface, a first region in which a first material is exposed and a second region in which a second material different from the first material is exposed; selectively forming a self-assembled monolayer in the first region, among the first region and the second region; and forming a desired target film in the second region, among the first region and the second region, by using the self-assembled monolayer formed in the first region, wherein the selectively forming the self-assembled monolayer includes: selectively forming the self-assembled monolayer in the first region by using a first processing liquid including a first raw material of the self-assembled monolayer; and modifying the self-assembled monolayer, by using a second processing liquid including a second raw material of the self-assembled monolayer at a concentration different from a concentration of the first processing liquid.

A film formation method includes: preparing a substrate including, on its surface, a first region in which a first material is exposed and a second region in which a second material different from the first material is exposed; selectively forming a self-assembled monolayer in the first region, among the first region and the second region; and forming a desired target film in the second region, among the first region and the second region, by using the self-assembled monolayer formed in the first region, wherein the selectively forming the self-assembled monolayer includes: selectively forming the self-assembled monolayer in the first region by using a first processing liquid including a first raw material of the self-assembled monolayer; and modifying the self-assembled monolayer, by using a second processing liquid including a second raw material of the self-assembled monolayer at a concentration different from a concentration of the first processing liquid.

Embodiments of a marking pattern in forming the staircase structure of a three-dimensional (3D) memory device are provided. In an example, a semiconductor device includes a stack structure having insulating layers and conductor layers arranged alternatingly over a substrate along a vertical direction; and a marking pattern having interleaved layers over the substrate and neighboring the stack structure. The marking pattern includes a central marking structure located in a marking area. The central marking structure consists of interleaved layers and divides the marking area into a first marking sub-area and a second marking sub-area. A first pattern density of the first marking sub-area is higher than or equal to a second pattern density of the second marking sub-area.

A device area and a marking area neighboring the device area over a dielectric stack are determined. The dielectric stack includes insulating material layers and sacrificial material layers arranged alternatingly over a substrate. The device area and the marking area are patterned using a same etching process to form a marking pattern having a central marking structure in a marking area and a staircase pattern in the device area. The marking pattern and the staircase pattern have a same thickness equal to a thickness of at least one insulating material layer and one sacrificial material layer, and the central marking structure divides the marking area into a first marking sub-area farther from the device area and a second marking sub-area closer to the device area. A first pattern density of the first marking sub-area is greater than or equal to a second pattern density of the second marking sub-area. A photoresist layer is formed to cover the staircase pattern and expose the marking pattern, and the photoresist layer is trimmed to expose a portion of the dielectric stack along a horizontal direction. An etching process is performed to maintain the marking pattern and remove the exposed portion of the dielectric stack and form a staircase.

A method is provided for selective film deposition on a substrate. According to one embodiment, the method includes providing a substrate containing a first material having a first surface and second material having a second surface, where the first material includes a dielectric material and the second material contains a semiconductor material or a metal-containing material that excludes a metal oxide, reacting the first surface with a reactant gas containing a hydrophobic functional group to form a hydrophobic first surface, and depositing, by gas phase deposition, a metal oxide film on the second surface, where deposition of the metal oxide film is hindered on the hydrophobic first surface.