Abstract: The present disclosure describes a method and an apparatus that can enhance the slurry oxidizability for a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) process. The method can include securing a substrate onto a carrier of a polishing system. The method can further include dispensing, via a feeder of the polishing system, a first slurry towards a polishing pad of the polishing system. The method can further include forming a second slurry by enhancing an oxidizability of the first slurry, and performing a polishing process, with the second slurry, on the substrate.

Abstract: A semiconductor device structure is provided. The semiconductor device structure includes a first fin, a second fin and a third fin therebetween. A first insulating structure includes a first insulating layer formed between the first and third fins, a capping structure covering the first insulating layer, a first insulating liner covering sidewall surfaces of the first insulating layer and the capping structure and a bottom surface of the first insulating layer, and a second insulating liner formed between the first insulating liner and the first fin and between the first insulating liner and the third fin. The second insulating structure includes a second insulating layer formed between the second fin and the third fin and a third insulating liner formed between the second insulating layer and the second fin and between the second insulating layer and the third fin.

Abstract: A method of forming a CMP pad includes providing a solution of a block copolymer (BCP), where the BCP includes a first segment and a second segment connected to the first segment, the second segment being different from the first segment in composition. The method further includes processing the BCP to form a polymer network having a first phase and a second phase embedded in the first phase, where the first phase includes the first segment and the second phase includes the second segment, and subsequently removing the second phase from the polymer network, thereby forming a polymer film that includes a network of pores embedded in the first phase. Thereafter, the method proceeds to combining the CMP top pad and a CMP sub-pad to form a CMP pad, where the CMP top pad is configured to engage with a workpiece during a CMP process.

Abstract: A semiconductor device structure is provided. The semiconductor device structure includes a substrate having adjacent first and second fins protruding from the substrate. A first gate structure and a second gate structure are across the first and second fins, respectively. An insulating structure is formed between the first gate structure and the second gate structure and includes a first insulating layer separating the first fin from the second fin, a capping structure formed in the first insulating layer, and a second insulating layer covered by the first insulating layer and the capping structure.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a slurry. The slurry includes an abrasive including a ceria compound; a removal rate regulator to adjust removal rates of the slurry to metal and to dielectric material; and a buffering agent to adjust a pH value of the slurry, wherein the slurry comprises a dielectric material removal rate higher than a metal oxide removal rate.

Abstract: The method includes receiving a semiconductor device having a first surface and a second surface. The first surface is a top surface including a conductive material exposed thereon; and the second surface is an embedded surface including the conductive material and a dielectric material. The method also includes selecting a first polishing slurry to achieve a first polishing rate of the conductive material in the first polishing slurry and a second polishing rate of the dielectric material in the first polishing slurry. The method further includes selecting a second polishing slurry to achieve a third polishing rate of the conductive material in the second polishing slurry and a fourth polishing rate of the dielectric material in the second polishing slurry. The method additionally includes polishing the first surface with the first polishing slurry until the second surface is exposed; and polishing the second surface with the second polishing slurry.

Abstract: The present disclosure describes a method and an apparatus that can enhance the slurry oxidizability for a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) process. The method can include securing a substrate onto a carrier of a polishing system. The method can further include dispensing, via a feeder of the polishing system, a first slurry towards a polishing pad of the polishing system. The method can further include forming a second slurry by enhancing an oxidizability of the first slurry, and performing a polishing process, with the second slurry, on the substrate.

Abstract: A chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) slurry composition includes an oxidant including oxygen, and an abrasive particle having a core structure encapsulated by a shell structure. The core structure includes a first compound and the shell structure includes a second compound different from the first compound, where a diameter of the core structure is greater than a thickness of the shell structure, and where the first compound is configured to react with the oxidant to form a reactive oxygen species.

Abstract: A method includes measuring a first thickness at a first location of the polishing pad and a second thickness at a second location of the polishing pad; obtaining a first reference thickness at the first location of the polishing pad, wherein the first reference thickness is an average thickness of multiple thicknesses at the first location; obtaining a second reference thickness at the second location of the polishing pad, wherein the second reference thickness is an average thickness of multiple thicknesses at the second location; calculating a first thickness difference; calculating a second thickness difference; modifying a conditioning parameter value at the first location of the polishing pad; and sweeping a conditioner across a surface of the polishing pad; and applying a downforce or a sweeping speed to the conditioner that urges the conditioner against the first location of the polishing pad according to the modified conditioning parameter value.

Abstract: A semiconductor substrate has an exposed surface having a compositionally uniform metal, and an embedded surface having the metal and an oxide. The exposed surface is polished using a first slurry including a first abrasive and a first amine-based alkaline until the embedded surface is exposed. The embedded surface is polished using a second slurry including a second abrasive and a second amine-based alkaline. The second abrasive is different from the first abrasive. The second amine-based alkaline is different from the first amine-based alkaline. The metal and the oxide each has a first and a second removal rate in the first slurry, respectively, and a third and fourth removal rate in the second slurry, respectively. A ratio of the first removal rate to the second removal rate is greater than 30:1, and a ratio of the third removal rate to the fourth removal rate is about 1:0.5 to about 1:2.

Abstract: A method is provided and includes: measuring a surface profile of a polishing pad; obtaining a reference profile of the polishing pad; comparing the surface profile of the polishing pad with the reference profile to generate a difference result; determining a conditioning parameter value according to the difference result; and conditioning the polishing pad using the conditioning parameter value.

Abstract: A CMP slurry composition and a method of polishing a metal layer are provided. In some embodiments, the CMP slurry composition includes about 0.1 to 10 parts by weight of a metal oxide, and about 0.1 to 10 parts by weight of a chelator. The chelator includes a thiol compound or a thiolether compound.

Abstract: A CMP slurry composition and a method of polishing a metal layer are provided. In some embodiments, the CMP slurry composition includes about 0.1 to 10 parts by weight of a metal oxide, and about 0.1 to 10 parts by weight of a chelator. The chelator includes a thiol compound or a thiolether compound.

Abstract: A method includes forming a bottom layer of a multi-layer mask over a first gate structure extending across a fin; performing a chemical treatment to treat an upper portion of the bottom layer of the multi-layer mask, while leaving a lower portion of the bottom layer of the multi-layer mask untreated; forming a sacrificial layer over the bottom layer of the multi-layer mask; performing a polish process on the sacrificial layer, in which the treated upper portion of the bottom layer of the multi-layer mask has a slower removal rate in the polish process than that of the untreated lower portion of the bottom layer of the multi-layer mask; forming middle and top layers of the multi-layer mask; patterning the multi-layer mask; and etching an exposed portion of the first gate structure to break the first gate structure into a plurality of second gate structures.

Abstract: A semiconductor device structure is provided. The semiconductor device structure includes a substrate having adjacent first and second fins protruding from the substrate. A first gate structure and a second gate structure are across the first and second fins, respectively. An insulating structure is formed between the first gate structure and the second gate structure and includes a first insulating layer separating the first fin from the second fin, a capping structure formed in the first insulating layer, and a second insulating layer covered by the first insulating layer and the capping structure.

Abstract: Partial barrier-free vias and methods for forming such are disclosed herein. An exemplary interconnect structure of a multilayer interconnect feature includes a dielectric layer. A cobalt-comprising interconnect feature and a partial barrier-free via are disposed in the dielectric layer. The partial barrier-free via includes a first via plug portion disposed on and physically contacting the cobalt-comprising interconnect feature and the dielectric layer, a second via plug portion disposed over the first via plug portion, and a via barrier layer disposed between the second via plug portion and the first via plug portion. The via barrier layer is further disposed between the second via plug portion and the dielectric layer. The cobalt-comprising interconnect feature can be a device-level contact or a conductive line of the multilayer interconnect feature. The first via plug portion and the second via plug portion can include tungsten, cobalt, and/or ruthenium.

Abstract: A chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) slurry composition includes an oxidant including oxygen, and an abrasive particle having a core structure encapsulated by a shell structure. The core structure includes a first compound and the shell structure includes a second compound different from the first compound, where a diameter of the core structure is greater than a thickness of the shell structure, and where the first compound is configured to react with the oxidant to form a reactive oxygen species.

Abstract: A method includes: forming source/drain epitaxy structures over a semiconductor fin; forming a first ILD layer covering the source/drain epitaxy structures; forming a gate structure over the semiconductor fin and between the source/drain epitaxy structures; forming a capping layer over the gate structure; thinning the capping layer; forming a hard mask layer over the capping layer; forming a second ILD layer spanning the hard mask layer and the first ILD layer; forming, by using an etching operation, a contact hole passing through the first and second ILD layers to one of the source/drain epitaxy structures, the etching operation being performed such that the hard mask layer has a notched corner in the contact hole; filling the contact hole with a conductive material; and performing a CMP process on the conductive material until that the notched corner of the hard mask layer is removed.

Abstract: Partial barrier-free vias and methods for forming such are disclosed herein. An exemplary interconnect structure of a multilayer interconnect feature includes a dielectric layer. A cobalt-comprising interconnect feature and a partial barrier-free via are disposed in the dielectric layer. The partial barrier-free via includes a first via plug portion disposed on and physically contacting the cobalt-comprising interconnect feature and the dielectric layer, a second via plug portion disposed over the first via plug portion, and a via barrier layer disposed between the second via plug portion and the first via plug portion. The via barrier layer is further disposed between the second via plug portion and the dielectric layer. The cobalt-comprising interconnect feature can be a device-level contact or a conductive line of the multilayer interconnect feature. The first via plug portion and the second via plug portion can include tungsten, cobalt, and/or ruthenium.

Abstract: A CMP slurry composition and a method of polishing a metal layer are provided. In some embodiments, the CMP slurry composition includes about 0.1 to 10 parts by weight of a metal oxide, and about 0.1 to 10 parts by weight of a chelator. The chelator includes a thiol compound or a thiolether compound.