Abstract: One aspect of the present disclosure is a method of fabricating metal gate by forming special layers in place of traditional TiN hard mask over the ILD0 layer to avoid ILD0 losses due to conventional ILD0 CMP. The method can comprise: after the ILD0 CMP, forming a first thin ashable film layer over the ILD0 layer; then forming a second thin dielectric layer over the first layer; during the aluminum CMP process for a first region (PMOS or NMOS), removing the second layer through polishing until the top surface of the first ashable film layer; and then removing first ashable film layer through an ashing method such as burning. In this way, ILD0 loss can be reduced during the first aluminum CMP step and thus can reduce initial height of ILD0, which in turn can reduce the height of initial dummy gate filled in the cavity.

Abstract: The yield of a manufacturing process of a semiconductor device is increased. The productivity of a semiconductor device is increased. A first material layer is formed over a substrate, a second material layer is formed over the first material layer, and the first material layer and the second material layer are separated from each other, so that a semiconductor device is manufactured. In addition, a stack including the first material layer and the second material layer is preferably heated before the separation. The first material layer includes one or more of hydrogen, oxygen, and water. The first material layer includes a metal oxide, for example. The second material layer includes a resin (e.g., polyimide or acrylic). The first material layer and the second material layer are separated from each other by cutting a hydrogen bond.

Abstract: A method of forming patterns for a semiconductor device includes preparing a hardmask composition including a carbon allotrope, a spin-on hardmask (SOH) material, an aromatic ring-containing polymer, and a solvent, applying the hardmask composition to an etching target layer, forming a hardmask by heat-treating the applied hardmask composition, forming a photoresist pattern on the hardmask, forming a hardmask pattern by etching the hardmask using the photoresist pattern as an etching mask, and forming an etched pattern by etching the etching target layer using the hardmask pattern as an etching mask.

Abstract: A method of processing a target object is provided. The target object includes a first protrusion portion, a second protrusion portion, an etching target layer and a groove portion. The groove portion is provided on a main surface of the target object, provided on the etching target layer and defined by the first and the second protrusion portions. An inner surface of the groove portion is included in the main surface. In the method, a first sequence is repeatedly performed N times (N is an integer equal to or larger than 2). The first sequence includes (a) forming a protection film conformally on the main surface in a processing vessel of a plasma processing apparatus in which the target object is accommodated; and (b) etching a bottom portion of the groove portion with plasma of a gas generated within the processing vessel after the process a is performed.

Abstract: One illustrative method disclosed herein includes, among other things, forming an initial patterned etch mask above a feature-formation etch mask, the initial patterned etch mask including a plurality of laterally spaced-apart features having a non-uniform spacing, and performing at least one first etching process to remove an entire axial length of at least one of the plurality of features so as to thereby form a modified final patterned etch mask comprised of a plurality of features with a uniform spacing that defines a feature-formation pattern. In this example, the method also includes performing at least one second etching process so as to form a patterned feature-formation etch mask comprising the feature-formation pattern and performing at least one third etching process so as to form a plurality of features in a first layer, the features being formed with the feature-formation pattern.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for selectively depositing silicon oxide on a silicon oxide surface relative to a silicon nitride surface are described herein. Methods involve pre-treating a substrate surface using ammonia and/or nitrogen plasma and selectively depositing silicon oxide on a silicon oxide surface using alternating pulses of an aminosilane silicon precursor and an oxidizing agent in a thermal atomic layer deposition reaction without depositing silicon oxide on an exposed silicon nitride surface.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods for forming horizontal gate-all-around (hGAA) structure devices. In one example, a method includes selectively and laterally etching a first group of sidewalls of a first layer in a multi-material layer, wherein the multi-material layer comprises repeating pairs of the first layer and a second layer, the first and the second layers having the first group and a second group of sidewalls respectively, the first group of sidewalls from the first layer exposed through openings defined in the multi-material layer and a group of inner spacers formed atop of the second group of sidewalls from the second layer, forming a recess from the first group of sidewalls of the first layer and defining a vertical wall inward from an outer vertical surface of the inner spacer formed atop of the second layers, and forming an epi-silicon layer from the recess of the first layer.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a substrate, a metal gate on the substrate, and a first inter-layer dielectric (ILD) layer around the metal gate. A top surface of the metal gate is lower than a top surface of the ILD layer thereby forming a recessed region atop the metal gate. A mask layer is disposed in the recessed region. A void is formed in the mask layer within the recessed region. A second ILD layer is disposed on the mask layer and the first ILD layer. A contact hole extends into the second ILD layer and the mask layer. The contact hole exposes the top surface of the metal gate and communicates with the void. A conductive layer is disposed in the contact hole and the void.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor layer having a first principal surface on one side thereof and a second principal surface on the other side thereof, a channel region of a first conductivity type formed at a surface layer portion of the first principal surface of the semiconductor layer, an emitter region of a second conductivity type formed at a surface layer portion of the channel region in the semiconductor layer, a drift region of the second conductivity type formed in a region of the second principal surface side with respect to the channel region in the semiconductor layer so as to be electrically connected to the channel region, a collector region of the first conductivity type formed at a surface layer portion of the second principal surface of the semiconductor layer so as to be electrically connected to the drift region, a cathode region of the second conductivity type formed at a surface layer portion of the second principal surface of the semiconductor layer so as to be electrically

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a substrate having a fin structure extending along a first direction. The fin structure protrudes from a top surface of a trench isolation region and has a first height. A plurality of gate lines including a first gate line and a second gate line extend along a second direction and striding across the fin structure. The first gate line has a discontinuity directly above a gate cut region. The second gate line is disposed in proximity to a dummy fin region, and does not overlap with the dummy fin region. The fin structure has a second height within the dummy fin region, and the second height is smaller than the first height.

Abstract: A method of forming a pillar includes masking a photoresist material using a reticle and a developer having a polarity opposite that of the photoresist to provide an island of photoresist material. A layer under the island of photoresist material is etched to establish a pillar defined by the island of photoresist material.

Abstract: A method of forming, on a substrate having on a surface thereof a film having a trench of a preset pattern and a via at a bottom of the trench, a Cu wiring by burying Cu or Cu alloy in the trench and the via includes forming a barrier film (process 2); forming, on a surface of the barrier film, a wetting target layer of Ru or the like (process 3); forming, on a surface of the wetting target layer, a Cu-based seed film by PVD (process 4); filling the via by heating the substrate and flowing the Cu-based seed film into the via (process 5); and forming, on the substrate surface, a Cu-based film made of the Cu or Cu alloy by PVD under a condition where the Cu-based film is flown on the wetting target layer to bury the Cu-based film in the trench (process 6).

Abstract: A method includes forming an alignment pattern over an insulating layer formed over a carrier. A die is mounted over the carrier and encapsulated. Connectors are formed and the structure is attached to a debond tape. The carrier is removed. A cutting device is aligned to a backside of the insulating layer using the alignment pattern. The first insulating layer and encapsulant are cut from the backside of the insulating layer. Another method includes scanning a backside of a packages structure for an alignment pattern in a first package area of the packages structure. A cutting device is aligned to a cut-line in a non-package area of the packages structure based on the alignment pattern and packages are singulated. An InFO package includes an insulating layer on the backside, the insulating layer having a laser marking thereon. The InFO package also includes an alignment pattern proximate to the insulating layer.

Abstract: An integrated fan-out package includes a die, an encapsulant, a redistribution structure, a plurality of conductive pillars, a seed layer, and a plurality of conductive bumps. The encapsulant encapsulates the die. The redistribution structure is over the die and the encapsulant. The redistribution structure is electrically connected to the die and includes a plurality of dielectric layers that are sequentially stacked and a plurality of conductive patterns sandwiched between the dielectric layers. A Young's modulus of the dielectric layer farthest away from the die is higher than a Young's modulus of each of the rest of the dielectric layers. The conductive patterns are electrically connected to each other. The conductive pillars are disposed on and electrically connected to the redistribution structure. The seed layer is located between the conductive pillars and the redistribution structure. The conductive bumps are disposed on the plurality of conductive pillars.

Abstract: Glass substrates comprising an A-side upon which silicon thin film transistor devices can be fabricated and a B-side having a substantially homogeneous organic film thereon are described. The organic film includes a moiety that reduces voltage generation by contact electrification or triboelectrification. Methods of manufacturing the glass substrates and example devices incorporating the glass substrates are also described.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a super junction power MOSFET includes forming a first trench in a substrate, forming a first oxide layer over the substrate and in the bottom and along sidewalls of the trench, depositing electrically conductive material in the trench, masking a first portion of the electrically conductive material, forming a recessed portion of the electrically conductive material, forming an oxide portion over and in contact with the recessed portion of the electrically conductive material, removing a part of the oxide portion by masking, removing the first oxide layer on the sidewalls while another part of the oxide portion remains in contact with the recessed portion of the electrically conductive material, forming a gate dielectric along exposed sidewalls of the trench, and depositing additional electrically conductive material over the other part of the oxide portion in the trench.

Abstract: According to one example, a process includes performing a first plurality of layer deposition cycles of a deposition process on a substrate, and after performing the first plurality of layer deposition cycles, performing a plasma enhanced layer deposition cycle comprising a plasma treatment process. The first plurality of layer deposition cycles are performed without a plasma treatment process.

Abstract: A gas floated workpiece supporting apparatus includes a gas upward ejector ejecting gas upward, and a gas downward ejector located at an upper side from the gas upward ejector and ejecting gas downward. The gas downward ejector is installed at a position where the gas downward ejector ejects the gas downward from above a plate-shaped workpiece to apply pressure to the plate-shaped workpiece that is floated and supported by the gas ejected from the gas upward ejector, whereby a uniform floating amount supports the plate-shaped workpiece with high flatness at a time of floating and supporting the plate-shaped workpiece.

Abstract: A magnetoelectric converting element includes a substrate, a magnetosensitive layer, a first insulating layer, an underlying conductive layer, a second insulating layer, and a terminal conductor. The magnetosensitive layer is formed on the substrate. The first insulating layer is formed with first opening for exposing a part of the magnetosensitive layer. The underlying conductive layer is formed on the exposed part of the magnetosensitive layer. The second insulating layer is formed with a second opening for exposing a part of the underlying conductive layer. The terminal conductor is formed on the exposed part of the underlying conductive layer. The second opening is arranged to be located inside the first opening in plan view.

Abstract: Subject matter disclosed herein may relate to fabrication of correlated electron materials used, for example, to perform specified application performance parameters. In embodiments, CEM devices fabricated at a first stage of a wafer fabrication process, such as a front-end-of-line stage, may differ from CEM devices fabricated at a second stage of a wafer fabrication process, such as a middle-of-line stage or a back-end-of-line stage, for example.