Abstract: An integrated circuit having a transistor architecture includes a first semiconductor body and a second semiconductor body. The first and second semiconductor bodies are arranged vertically (e.g., stacked configuration) or horizontally (e.g., forksheet configuration) with respect to each other, and separated from one another by insulator material, and each can be configured for planar or non-planar transistor topology. A first gate structure is on the first semiconductor body, and includes a first gate electrode and a first high-k gate dielectric. A second gate structure is on the second semiconductor body, and includes a second gate electrode and a second high-k gate dielectric. In an example, the first gate electrode includes a layer comprising a compound of silicon and one or more metals; the second gate structure may include a silicide workfunction layer, or not. In one example, the first gate electrode is n-type, and the second gate electrode is p-type.

Abstract: An integrated circuit (IC) device includes a first semiconductor region, a second semiconductor region, and a contact coupled to the first semiconductor region. The contact extends away from the semiconductor region in a direction. The IC device also includes an isolation region adjacent to the first semiconductor region and adjacent to the second semiconductor region. The isolation region includes a first isolation subregion and a second isolation subregion. A boundary between the first and second isolation subregions is substantially curved towards the direction.

Abstract: Air gaps are incorporated into a transistor layer to reduce capacitance between conductive components. In some embodiments, along a gate cut region extending across the gates of multiple transistors, a gate cut dielectric may be partially or fully replaced by an air gap. The air gap may extend between two adjacent gates of two adjacent transistors, or between a gate and a via, where the via extends through the gate line and between two gates. The air gaps are capped by a dielectric material, so that additional layers (e.g., back side interconnect layers) may be formed over the air gap. An oxide layer over the transistor layer may be recessed relative to a via to ensure capping of the air gaps. The air gaps may be widened outward from a central seam in the gate cute dielectric.

Abstract: Air gaps are incorporated into a transistor layer to reduce capacitance between conductive components. In some embodiments, along a gate cut region extending across the gates of multiple transistors, a gate cut dielectric may be partially or fully replaced by an air gap. The air gap may extend between two adjacent gates of two adjacent transistors, or between a gate and a via, where the via extends through the gate line and between two gates. As another example, air gaps may extend between adjacent source or drain regions between pairs of adjacent transistors, e.g., in a device that includes back side source or drain contacts. The air gap may be formed on the back side of the device. The air gaps are capped by a dielectric material, so that additional layers (e.g., back side interconnect layers) may be formed over the air gap.

Abstract: IC structures with air gap insulation in place of gate spacers are disclosed. An example IC structure includes a transistor comprising a channel region and a source or drain (S/D) region, a gate structure coupled to the channel region and comprising a gate electrode material and a first electrically conductive material, a S/D contact structure coupled to the S/D region and comprising a second electrically conductive material, a gap between the gate structure and the S/D contact structure, and a liner material on at least a portion of a sidewall of the gap, the liner material comprising aluminum and oxygen.

Abstract: IC structures with air gap insulation in place of gate spacers are disclosed. An example IC structure includes a transistor comprising a channel region and a S/D region, a gate structure coupled to the channel region and comprising a gate electrode material and a first electrically conductive material, a S/D contact structure coupled to the S/D region and comprising a second electrically conductive material, a gap between the gate structure and the S/D contact structure, and a liner material over at least a portion of a sidewall of the region below the contact structure, the liner material comprising aluminum and oxygen.

Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein include electronic systems with vias that include a horizontal and vertical portion in order to provide interconnects to stacked components, and methods of forming such systems. In an embodiment, an electronic system comprises a board, a package substrate electrically coupled to the board, and a die electrically coupled to the package substrate. In an embodiment the die comprises a stack of components, and a via adjacent to the stack of components, wherein the via comprises a vertical portion and a horizontal portion.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure may generally relate to systems, apparatus, and/or processes to form volumes of oxide within a fin, such as a Si fin. In embodiments, this may be accomplished by applying a catalytic oxidant material on a side of a fin and then annealing to form a volume of oxide. In embodiments, this may be accomplished by using a plasma implant technique or a beam-line implant technique to introduce oxygen ions into an area of the fin and then annealing to form a volume of oxide. Processes described here may be used manufacture a transistor, a stacked transistor, or a three-dimensional (3-D) monolithic stacked transistor.

Abstract: A device is disclosed. The device includes a first epitaxial region, a second epitaxial region, a first gate region between the first epitaxial region and a second epitaxial region, a first dielectric structure underneath the first epitaxial region, a second dielectric structure underneath the second epitaxial region, a third epitaxial region underneath the first epitaxial region, a fourth epitaxial region underneath the second epitaxial region, and a second gate region between the third epitaxial region and a fourth epitaxial region and below the first gate region. The device also includes, a conductor via extending from the first epitaxial region, through the first dielectric structure and the third epitaxial region, the conductor via narrower at an end of the conductor via that contacts the first epitaxial region than at an opposite end.

Abstract: Backside contact structures include etch selective materials to facilitate backside contact formation. An integrated circuit structure includes a frontside contact region, a device region below the frontside contact region, and a backside contact region below the device region. The device region includes a transistor. The backside contact region includes a first dielectric material under a source or drain region of the transistor, a second dielectric material laterally adjacent to the first dielectric material and under a gate structure of the transistor. A non-conductive spacer is between the first and second dielectric materials. The first and second dielectric materials are selectively etchable with respect to one another and the spacer. The backside contact region may include an interconnect feature that, for instance, passes through the first dielectric material and contacts a bottom side of the source/drain region, and/or passes through the second dielectric material and contacts the gate structure.

Abstract: Stacked transistor structures having a conductive interconnect between source/drain regions of upper and lower transistors. In some embodiments, the interconnect is provided, at least in part, by highly doped epitaxial material deposited in the upper transistor's source/drain region. In such cases, the epitaxial material seeds off of an exposed portion of semiconductor material of or adjacent to the upper transistor's channel region and extends downward into a recess that exposes the lower transistor's source/drain contact structure. The epitaxial source/drain material directly contacts the lower transistor's source/drain contact structure, to provide the interconnect. In other embodiments, the epitaxial material still seeds off the exposed semiconductor material of or proximate to the channel region and extends downward into the recess, but need not contact the lower contact structure.

Abstract: Backside contact structures include etch selective materials to facilitate backside contact formation. An integrated circuit structure includes a frontside contact region, a device region below the frontside contact region, and a backside contact region below the device region. The device region includes a transistor. The backside contact region includes a first dielectric material under a source or drain region of the transistor, a second dielectric material laterally adjacent to the first dielectric material and under a gate structure of the transistor. A non-conductive spacer is between the first and second dielectric materials. The first and second dielectric materials are selectively etchable with respect to one another and the spacer. The backside contact region may include an interconnect feature that, for instance, passes through the first dielectric material and contacts a bottom side of the source/drain region, and/or passes through the second dielectric material and contacts the gate structure.

Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein include stacked forksheet transistor devices, and methods of fabricating stacked forksheet transistor devices. In an example, an integrated circuit structure includes a backbone. A first transistor device includes a first vertical stack of semiconductor channels adjacent to an edge of the backbone. A second transistor device includes a second vertical stack of semiconductor channels adjacent to the edge of the backbone. The second transistor device is stacked on the first transistor device.

Abstract: In an embodiment of the present disclosure, a device structure includes a fin structure, a gate on the fin structure, and a source and a drain on the fin structure, where the gate is between the source and the drain. The device structure further includes an insulator layer having a first insulator layer portion adjacent to a sidewall of the source, a second insulator layer portion adjacent to a sidewall of the drain, and a third insulator layer portion therebetween adjacent to a sidewall of the gate, and two or more stressor materials adjacent to the insulator layer. The stressor materials can be tensile or compressively stressed and may strain a channel under the gate.

Abstract: Embodiments herein relate to systems, apparatuses, or processes directed to manufacturing transistors that include a substrate, an epitaxial layer with a first side and a second side opposite the first side, where the first side and the second side of the epitaxial layer are substantially planar, where the second side of the epitaxial layer is substantially parallel to the first side, and where the first side of the epitaxial layer is directly coupled with a side of the substrate. In particular, the epitaxial layer may be adjacent to an oxide layer having a side that is substantially planar, where the second side of the epitaxial layer is adjacent to the side of the oxide layer, and the epitaxial layer was grown and the growth was constrained by the oxide layer.

Abstract: Integrated circuit structures having cavity spacers, and methods of fabricating integrated circuit structures having cavity spacers, are described. For example, an integrated circuit structure includes a sub-fin structure over a stack of nanowires. A gate structure is vertically around the stack of nanowires. An internal gate spacer is between vertically adjacent ones of the nanowires and adjacent to the gate structure. A trench contact structure is laterally adjacent to a side of the gate structure. A cavity spacer is laterally between the gate structure and the trench contact structure.

Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein include stacked forksheet transistor devices, and methods of fabricating stacked forksheet transistor devices. In an example, an integrated circuit structure includes a backbone. A first transistor device includes a first vertical stack of semiconductor channels adjacent to an edge of the backbone. A second transistor device includes a second vertical stack of semiconductor channels adjacent to the edge of the backbone. The second transistor device is stacked on the first transistor device.

Abstract: Stacked transistor structures having a conductive interconnect between upper and lower transistors. In an embodiment, the interconnect is formed by first provisioning a protective layer over an area to be protected (gate dielectric or other sensitive material) of upper transistor, and then etching material adjacent and below the protected area to expose an underlying contact point of lower transistor. A metal is deposited into the void created by the etch to provide the interconnect. The protective layer is resistant to the etch process and is preserved in the structure, and in some cases may be utilized as a work-function metal. In an embodiment, the protective layer is formed by deposition of reactive semiconductor and metal material layers which are subsequently transformed into a work function metal or work function metal-containing compound. A remnant of unreacted reactive semiconductor material may be left in structure and collinear with protective layer.

Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein include electronic systems with vias that include a horizontal and vertical portion in order to provide interconnects to stacked components, and methods of forming such systems. In an embodiment, an electronic system comprises a board, a package substrate electrically coupled to the board, and a die electrically coupled to the package substrate. In an embodiment the die comprises a stack of components, and a via adjacent to the stack of components, wherein the via comprises a vertical portion and a horizontal portion.

Abstract: A device is disclosed. The device includes a first epitaxial region, a second epitaxial region, a first gate region between the first epitaxial region and a second epitaxial region, a first dielectric structure underneath the first epitaxial region, a second dielectric structure underneath the second epitaxial region, a third epitaxial region underneath the first epitaxial region, a fourth epitaxial region underneath the second epitaxial region, and a second gate region between the third epitaxial region and a fourth epitaxial region and below the first gate region. The device also includes, a conductor via extending from the first epitaxial region, through the first dielectric structure and the third epitaxial region, the conductor via narrower at an end of the conductor via that contacts the first epitaxial region than at an opposite end.