Abstract: A method for forming active regions of a semiconductor device comprising forming a nanosheet stack on a substrate, forming the nanosheet stack comprising forming a sacrificial nanosheet layer on the substrate, and forming a nanosheet layer on the sacrificial nanosheet layer, forming an etch stop layer on the nanosheet stack, forming a mandrel layer on the etch stop layer, removing portions of the mandrel layer to form a mandrel on the etch stop layer, forming sidewalls adjacent to sidewalls of the mandrel, depositing a fill layer on exposed portions of the etch stop layer, removing the sidewalls and removing exposed portions of the etch stop layer and the nanosheet stack to expose portions of the substrate.

Abstract: A method is presented forming a fully-aligned via (FAV) and airgaps within a semiconductor device. The method includes forming a plurality of copper (Cu) trenches within an insulating layer, forming a plurality of ILD regions over exposed portions of the insulating layer, selectively removing a first section of the ILD regions in an airgap region, and maintaining a second section of the ILD regions in a non-airgap region. The method further includes forming airgaps in the airgap region and forming a via in the non-airgap region contacting a Cu trench of the plurality of Cu trenches.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a porous dielectric layer including a recessed portion, a conductive layer formed in the recessed portion, and a cap layer formed on the porous dielectric layer and on the conductive layer in the recessed portion, an upper surface of the porous dielectric layer being exposed through a gap in the cap layer.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a substrate, a fin region including fins formed from the substrate, at least one fin cut region formed in the substrate adjacent to the fin region and having a different depth in the substrate than the fin region, and shallow trench isolation regions having substantially a same height in the fin cut regions and the fin region.

Abstract: Described herein is a FinFET device in which epitaxial layers of semiconductor material are formed in source/drain regions on fin portions. The fin portions can be located within a dielectric layer that is deposited on a semiconductor substrate. Surfaces of the fin portions can be oriented in the {100} lattice plane of the crystalline material of the fin portions, providing for good epitaxial growth. Further described are methods for forming the FinFET device.

Abstract: Apparatuses relating to a microelectronic package are disclosed. In one such apparatus, a substrate has first contacts on an upper surface thereof. A microelectronic die has a lower surface facing the upper surface of the substrate and having second contacts on an upper surface of the microelectronic die. Wire bonds have bases joined to the first contacts and have edge surfaces between the bases and corresponding end surfaces. A first portion of the wire bonds are interconnected between a first portion of the first contacts and the second contacts. The end surfaces of a second portion of the wire bonds are above the upper surface of the microelectronic die. A dielectric layer is above the upper surface of the substrate and between the wire bonds. The second portion of the wire bonds have uppermost portions thereof bent over to be parallel with an upper surface of the dielectric layer.

Abstract: A method of forming a semiconductor device having a vertical metal line interconnect (via) fully aligned to a first direction of a first interconnect layer and a second direction of a second interconnect layer in a selective recess region by forming a plurality of metal lines in a first dielectric layer; and recessing in a recess region first portions of the plurality of metal lines such that top surfaces of the first portions of the plurality of metal lines are below a top surface of the first dielectric layer; wherein a non-recess region includes second portions of the plurality of metal lines that are outside the recess region.

Abstract: A method of fabricating semiconductor fins, including, patterning a film stack to produce one or more sacrificial mandrels having sidewalls, exposing the sidewall on one side of the one or more sacrificial mandrels to an ion beam to make the exposed sidewall more susceptible to oxidation, oxidizing the opposite sidewalls of the one or more sacrificial mandrels to form a plurality of oxide pillars, removing the one or more sacrificial mandrels, forming spacers on opposite sides of each of the plurality of oxide pillars to produce a spacer pattern, removing the plurality of oxide pillars, and transferring the spacer pattern to the substrate to produce a plurality of fins.

Abstract: A fin-shaped field effect transistor (finFET) device comprising includes a substrate. an insulating layer displaced over the substrate, and a fin. The device also includes a gate formed over the fin, the gate including: a gate stack; and a high-k dielectric on opposing side of the gate stack. The device further includes metallic source and drain regions formed over the fin and on opposing sides of the gate.

Abstract: In interconnect fabrication (e.g. a damascene process), a barrier layer (possibly conductive) is formed over a substrate with holes, a conductor is formed over the barrier layer, and the conductor and the barrier layer are polished to expose the substrate around the holes and provide interconnect features in the holes. To prevent erosion/dishing of the conductor over the holes, the conductor is covered by another, “first” layer before polishing; then the first layer, the conductor, and the barrier layer are polished to expose the substrate. The first layer may or may not be conductive. The first layer protects the conductor to reduce or eliminate the conductor erosion/dishing over the holes.

Abstract: A semiconductor interconnect structure that has a first portion included in an upper interconnect level and a second portion included in a lower interconnect level. The semiconductor interconnect structure has a segment of dielectric capping material that is in contact with the bottom of the first portion, which separates, in part, the upper interconnect level from a lower interconnect level. The second portion is in electrical contact with the first portion.

Abstract: Embodiments are directed to a semiconductor structure having a dual-layer interconnect and a barrier layer. The interconnect structure combines a first conductive layer, a second conductive layer, and a barrier layer disposed between. The result is a low via resistance combined with improved electromigration performance. In one embodiment, the first conductive layer is copper, the second conductive layer is cobalt, and the barrier layer is tantalum nitride. A barrier layer is not used in other embodiments. Other embodiments are also disclosed.

Abstract: Low capacitance and high reliability interconnect structures and methods of manufacture are disclosed. The method includes forming a copper based interconnect structure in an opening of a dielectric material. The method further includes forming a capping layer on the copper based interconnect structure. The method further includes oxidizing the capping layer and any residual material formed on a surface of the dielectric material. The method further includes forming a barrier layer on the capping layer by outdiffusing a material from the copper based interconnect structure to a surface of the capping layer. The method further includes removing the residual material, while the barrier layer on the surface of the capping layer protects the capping layer.

Abstract: A method of forming a semiconductor structure includes forming a middle-of-line (MOL) oxide layer in the semiconductor structure. The MOL oxide layer including multiple gate stacks formed on a substrate. A nitride layer is formed over a silicide in the MOL oxide layer. At least one self-aligned contact area (CA) element is formed within the nitride layer. The MOL oxide layer is selectively recessed on a first side and a second side of the at least one self-aligned CA element leaving remaining portions of the MOL oxide layer on the nitride layer and a nitride. A nitride cap of the plurality of gate stacks is selectively recessed. An air-gap oxide layer is deposited for introducing one or more air-gaps in the deposited air-gap oxide layer. The air gap oxide layer is reduced to the at least one self-aligned CA element and the nitride layer.

Abstract: An etch back air gap (EBAG) process is provided. The EBAG process includes forming an initial structure that includes a dielectric layer disposed on a substrate and a liner disposed to line a trench defined in the dielectric layer. The process further includes impregnating a metallic interconnect material with dopant materials, filling a remainder of the trench with the impregnated metallic interconnect materials to form an intermediate structure and drive-out annealing of the intermediate structure. The drive-out annealing of the intermediate structure serves to drive the dopant materials out of the impregnated metallic interconnect materials and thereby forms a chemical- and plasma-attack immune material.

Abstract: A capacitor includes a stack. The stack has a first metallic layer formed over a substrate, an insulator formed over the first metallic layer, and a second metallic layer formed over the insulator. The first metallic layer has at least one high domain and at least one low domain, where a surface of the substrate in the at least one low domain has a height that is lower than a surface of the substrate in the at least one high domain.

Abstract: Methods of forming fins include masking a region on a three-color hardmask fin pattern, leaving a fin of a first color exposed. The exposed fin of the first color is etched away with a selective etch that does not remove fins of a second color or a third color. The mask and all fins of a second color are etched away. Fins are etched into a fin base layer using the fins of the first color and the fins of the third color.

Abstract: First lithography and etching are carried out on a semiconductor structure to provide a first intermediate semiconductor structure having a first set of surface features corresponding to a first portion of desired fin formation mandrels. Second lithography and etching are carried out on the first intermediate structure, using a second mask, to provide a second intermediate semiconductor structure having a second set of surface features corresponding to a second portion of the mandrels. The second set of surface features are unequally spaced from the first set of surface features and/or the features have different pitch. The fin formation mandrels are formed in the second intermediate semiconductor structure using the first and second sets of surface features; spacer material is deposited over the mandrels and is etched back to form a third intermediate semiconductor structure having a fin pattern. Etching is carried out on same to produce the fin pattern.

Abstract: A method and structures are used to fabricate a nanosheet semiconductor device. Nanosheet fins including nanosheet stacks including alternating silicon (Si) layers and silicon germanium (SiGe) layers are formed on a substrate and etched to define a first end and a second end along a first axis between which each nanosheet fin extends parallel to every other nanosheet fin. The SiGe layers are undercut in the nanosheet stacks at the first end and the second end to form divots, and a dielectric is deposited in the divots. The SiGe layers between the Si layers are removed before forming source and drain regions of the nanosheet semiconductor device such that there are gaps between the Si layers of each nanosheet stack, and the dielectric anchors the Si layers. The gaps are filled with an oxide that is removed after removing the dummy gate and prior to forming the replacement gate.

Abstract: A method of forming a semiconductor device that includes forming a fin structure from a bulk semiconductor substrate and forming an isolation region contacting a lower portion of a sidewall of the fin structure, wherein an upper portion of the sidewall of the fin structure is exposed. A sacrificial spacer is formed on the upper portion of the sidewall of the fin structure. The isolation regions are recessed to provide an exposed section of the sidewall of the fin structure. A doped semiconductor material is formed on the exposed section of the lower portion of the sidewall of the fin structure. Dopant is diffused from the doped semiconductor material to a base portion of the fin structure.