| CPC H10N 60/0912 (2023.02) [G06N 10/40 (2022.01); H10N 60/805 (2023.02)] | 13 Claims |

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1. A processing method to form a device component, the processing method comprising:
removing native oxide from a deposition surface of a silicon substrate in a cleaning chamber of a processing system;
transferring the silicon substrate under vacuum to a deposition chamber of the processing system;
depositing an aluminum layer on the deposition surface of the silicon substrate in the deposition chamber, wherein an interface between the aluminum layer and the deposition surface of the silicon substrate is oxygen free;
forming a patterned photoresist layer on the aluminum laver, wherein the patterned photoresist layer comprises patterned openings that provide access to an exposed portion of the aluminum layer;
removing the exposed portion of the aluminum layer down to the silicon substrate to form a patterned aluminum laver;
removing the patterned photoresist layer from the patterned aluminum layer;
removing native aluminum oxide from an exposed surface of the patterned aluminum layer, wherein the removal of the native aluminum oxide forms a cleaned patterned aluminum layer that is free of oxygen on the exposed surface of the patterned aluminum layer; and
forming an aluminum oxide layer on the cleaned patterned aluminum layer in the deposition chamber.
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