Abstract: A method includes patterning a trench and depositing a first insulating material along sidewalls and a bottom surface of the trench using a conformal deposition process. Depositing the first insulating material includes forming a first seam between a first portion of the first insulating material on a first sidewall of the trench and a second portion of the first insulating material on a second sidewall of the trench. The method further includes etching the first insulating material below a top of the trench and depositing a second insulating material over the first insulating material and in the trench using a conformal deposition process. Depositing the second insulating material comprises forming a second seam between a first portion of the second insulating material on the first sidewall of the trench and a second portion of the second insulating material on a second sidewall of the trench.

Abstract: Semiconductor devices and methods of forming semiconductor devices are described herein. A method includes forming a first fin and a second fin in a substrate. A low concentration source/drain region is epitaxially grown over the first fin and over the second fin. The material of the low concentration region has less than 50% by volume of germanium. A high concentration contact landing region is formed over the low concentration regions. The material of the high concentration contact landing region has at least 50% by volume germanium. The high concentration contact landing region has a thickness of at least 1 nm over a top surface of the low concentration source/drain region.

Abstract: A method includes forming a first fin and a second fin on a substrate; forming a dummy gate material over the first fin and the second fin; etching the dummy gate material using a first etching process to form a recess between the first fin and the second fin, wherein a sacrificial material is formed on sidewalls of the recess during the first etching process; filling the recess with an insulation material; removing the dummy gate material and the sacrificial material using a second etching process; and forming a first replacement gate over the first fin and a second replacement gate over the second fin, wherein the first replacement gate is separated from the second replacement gate by the insulation material.

Abstract: A semiconductor device and methods of fabricating the same are disclosed. The semiconductor device includes a substrate, a fin structure disposed on the substrate, a source/drain (S/D) region disposed on the fin structure, and a gate structure disposed on the fin structure adjacent to the S/D region. The gate structure includes a gate stack disposed on the fin structure and a gate capping structure disposed on the gate stack. The gate capping structure includes a conductive gate cap disposed on the gate stack and an insulating gate cap disposed on the conductive gate cap. The semiconductor device further includes a first contact structure disposed within the gate capping structure and a first via structure disposed on the first contact structure.

Abstract: A device is provided. The device includes multiple transistors, a first sense circuit, and a precharge circuit. The transistors are coupled to a tracking bit line and configured to generate a first tracking signal. The first sense circuit is configured to generate a first sense tracking signal in response to the first tracking signal. The precharge circuit is configured to generate, in response to a rising edge and a falling edge of the first sense tracking signal, a precharge signal for precharging data lines.

Abstract: Routing arrangements for 3D memory arrays and methods of forming the same are disclosed. In an embodiment, a memory array includes a ferroelectric (FE) material contacting a first word line; an oxide semiconductor (OS) layer contacting a source line and a bit line, the FE material being disposed between the OS layer and the first word line; a dielectric material contacting the FE material, the FE material being between the dielectric material and the first word line; an inter-metal dielectric (IMD) over the first word line; a first contact extending through the IMD to the first word line, the first contact being electrically coupled to the first word line; a second contact extending through the dielectric material and the FE material; and a first conductive line electrically coupling the first contact to the second contact.

Abstract: The present disclosure describes a semiconductor structure and a method for forming the same. The semiconductor structure can include a substrate, a gate structure over the substrate, a layer of dielectric material over the gate structure, a source/drain (S/D) contact layer formed through and adjacent to the gate structure, and a trench conductor layer over and in contact with the S/D contact layer. The S/D contact layer can include a layer of platinum-group metallic material and a silicide layer formed between the substrate and the layer of platinum-group metallic material. A top width of a top portion of the layer of platinum-group metallic material can be greater than or substantially equal to a bottom width of a bottom portion of the layer of platinum-group metallic material.

Abstract: A semiconductor package includes a first semiconductor die, a second semiconductor die and a plurality of bumps. The first semiconductor die has a front side and a backside opposite to each other. The second semiconductor die is disposed at the backside of the first semiconductor die and electrically connected to first semiconductor die. The plurality of bumps is disposed at the front side of the first semiconductor die and physically connects first die pads of the first semiconductor die. A total width of the first semiconductor die may be less than a total width of the second semiconductor die.

Abstract: Structures and formation methods of a semiconductor device structure are provided. The semiconductor device structure includes a gate stack over a semiconductor substrate and a cap element over the gate stack. The cap element has an upper portion and a lower portion, and the upper portion is wider than the lower portion. The semiconductor device structure also includes a spacer element over a sidewall of the cap element and a sidewall of the gate stack.

Abstract: A method includes bonding a first device die to a second device die, encapsulating the first device die in a first encapsulant, performing a backside grinding process on the second device die to reveal through-vias in the second device die, and forming first electrical connectors on the second device die to form a package. The package includes the first device die and the second device die. The method further includes encapsulating the first package in a second encapsulant, and forming an interconnect structure overlapping the first package and the second encapsulant. The interconnect structure comprises second electrical connectors.

Abstract: A method includes depositing a dielectric layer, depositing a plurality of mandrel strips over the dielectric layer, and forming a plurality of spacers on sidewalls of the plurality of mandrel strips to form a plurality of mask groups. Each of the plurality of mandrel strips and two of the plurality of spacers form a mask group in the plurality of mask groups. The method further includes forming a mask strip connecting two neighboring mask groups in the plurality of mask groups, using the plurality of mask groups and the mask strip collectively as an etching mask to etch the dielectric layer and to form trenches in the dielectric layer, and filling a conductive material into the trenches to form a plurality of conductive features.

Abstract: A flip-flop circuit configured to latch an input signal to an output signal is disclosed. The circuit includes a first latch circuit; and a second latch circuit coupled to the first latch circuit. In some embodiments, in response to a clock signal, the first and second latch circuits are complementarily activated so as to latch the input signal to the output signal, and the first and second latch circuits each comprises at most two transistors configured to receive the clock signal.

Abstract: An embodiment device includes: first fins protruding from an isolation region; second fins protruding from the isolation region; a first fin spacer on a first sidewall of one of the first fins, the first fin spacer disposed on the isolation region, the first fin spacer having a first spacer height; a second fin spacer on a second sidewall of one of the second fins, the second fin spacer disposed on the isolation region, the second fin spacer having a second spacer height, the first spacer height greater than the second spacer height; a first epitaxial source/drain region on the first fin spacer and in the first fins, the first epitaxial source/drain region having a first width; and a second epitaxial source/drain region on the second fin spacer and in the second fins, the second epitaxial source/drain region having a second width, the first width greater than the second width.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes first to fifth regions, first and second resistive loads. The first region is coupled to a first reference voltage terminal. The first to third regions operate as a first transistor. The fourth region is coupled to a second reference voltage terminal. The fourth to fifth regions operate as a second transistor. The first resistive load couples the second region to the second reference voltage terminal. The second resistive load couples the fifth region to the first reference voltage terminal. The first, third, second, fifth and fourth regions are arranged in order, each of the first, second and third regions corresponds to a first conductive type, and each of the fourth and fifth regions corresponds to a second conductive type.

Abstract: A device includes a semiconductor fin semiconductor fin extending from a substrate, a gate structure extending across the semiconductor fin, and a multilayer gate spacer on a sidewall of the gate structure. The multilayer gate spacer includes an inner spacer layer, an outer spacer layer, and a dielectric structure. The inner spacer layer has a vertical portion extending along the sidewall of the gate structure, and a lateral portion laterally extending from the vertical portion in a direction away from the gate structure. The outer spacer layer is spaced apart from the vertical portion of the inner spacer layer by an air gap. The dielectric structure spaces apart a bottom end of the outer spacer layer from the lateral portion of the inner spacer layer.

Abstract: In accordance with some embodiments, a method includes placing a semiconductor wafer over a wafer stage; pressing a brush assembly against a backside surface of the semiconductor wafer, wherein the brush assembly comprises an inner brush member and an outer brush member laterally surrounding the inner brush member, and the outer brush member is made of a material having a lower rigidity than the inner brush member; rotating the brush assembly relative to the semiconductor wafer.

Abstract: A semiconductor device is provided, including a first doped region of a first conductivity type configured as a first terminal of a first diode, a second doped region of a second conductivity type configured as a second terminal of the first diode, wherein the first and second doped regions are coupled to a first voltage terminal; a first well of the first conductivity type surrounding the first and second doped regions in a layout view; a third doped region of the first conductivity type configured as a first terminal, coupled to an input/output pad, of a second diode; and a second well of the second conductivity type surrounding the third doped region in the layout view. The second and third doped regions, the first well, and the second well are configured as a first electrostatic discharge path between the I/O pad and the first voltage terminal.

Abstract: An integrated circuit includes a first transistor, a second transistor, a first power line, and a second power line. The first transistor has a first active region and a first gate structure, in which the first active region has a source region and a drain region on opposite sides of the first gate structure. The second transistor is below the first transistor, and has a second active region and a second gate structure, in which the second active region has a source region and a drain region on opposite sides of the second gate structure. The first power line is above the first transistor, in which the first power line is electrically connected to the source region of first active region. The second power line is below the second transistor, in which the second power line is electrically connected to the source region of second active region.

Abstract: A method includes the following steps. A substrate is etched, forming a core structure protruding out of a plane of the substrate. Shallow trench isolation (STI) features are formed on opposite sides of the core structure. The substrate and a lower portion of the core structure are doped to form a first source/drain region with a first doping concentration. A barrier layer is grown on an upper portion of the core structure. A first spacer is formed covering the STI features and covering the lower portion of core structure. A shell is formed wrapping the upper portion of the core structure and the barrier layer. The shell and the upper portion of the core structure have different doping conductivity types. A second source/drain region is formed with a second doping concentration over the shell. The first doping concentration and the second doping concentration are different from each other.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides an exhaust system for discharging from semiconductor manufacturing equipment a hazardous gas. The exhaust system includes: a main exhaust pipe positioned above the semiconductor manufacturing equipment and having a top surface and a bottom surface extending parallel to the top surface; a first branch pipe including an upstream end coupled to a source of a gas mixture and a downstream end connected to the main exhaust pipe through the top surface; a second branch pipe including an upstream end and a downstream end connected to the main exhaust pipe through the bottom surface; and a detector configured to detect presence of the hazardous gas in the second branch pipe.