Abstract: Disclosed are electrodeposition systems and methods wherein at least three electrodes are placed in a container containing a plating solution. The electrodes are connected to a polarity-switching unit and include a first electrode, a second electrode and a third electrode. The polarity-switching unit establishes a constant polarity state between the first and second electrodes in the solution during an active plating mode, wherein the first electrode has a negative polarity and the second electrode has a positive polarity, thereby allowing a plated layer to form on a workpiece at the first electrode. The polarity-switching unit further establishes an oscillating polarity state between the second and third electrodes during a non-plating mode (i.e.

Abstract: A method of forming a multi-valued logic transistor with a small footprint and the resulting device are disclosed. Embodiments include forming plural fins on a silicon substrate, each fin covered with a hardmask; filling spaces between the fins and hard masks with an oxide; removing the hardmasks and recessing each fin, forming a cavity in the oxide over each fin; forming plural Si-based layers in each cavity with an increasing percentage of Ge or C or with an decreasing concentration of dopant from a bottom layer to a top layer; performing CMP for planarization to a top of the fins; recessing the oxide to a depth slightly below a top portion of the fin having a thickness equal to a thickness of each Si-based layer; and forming a high-k gate dielectric and a metal gate electrode over the plural Si-based layers.

Abstract: A method to mitigate resist pattern critical dimension (CD) variation in a double-exposure process generally includes forming a photoresist layer over a substrate; exposing the photoresist layer to a first radiation; developing the photoresist layer to form a first pattern in the photoresist layer; forming a topcoat layer over the photoresist layer; exposing the topcoat layer and the photoresist layer to a second radiation; removing the topcoat layer; and developing the photoresist layer to form a second pattern in the photoresist layer.

Abstract: One illustrative method disclosed herein includes removing a portion of a sacrificial sidewall spacer to thereby expose at least a portion of the sidewalls of a sacrificial gate electrode and forming a liner layer on the exposed sidewalls of the sacrificial gate electrode. In this example, the method also includes forming a sacrificial gap fill material above the liner layer, exposing and removing the sacrificial gate electrode to thereby define a gate cavity that is laterally defined by the liner layer, forming a replacement gate structure, removing the sacrificial gap fill material and forming a low-k sidewall spacer adjacent the liner layer. A device is also disclosed that includes a gate cap layer, a layer of silicon nitride or silicon oxynitride positioned on each of two upstanding portions of a gate insulation layer and a low-k sidewall spacer positioned on the layer of silicon nitride or silicon oxynitride.