Abstract: A method of forming a semiconductor structure includes providing a semiconductor substrate having a source/drain feature and a gate structure formed thereon; forming an interlayer dielectric layer on the semiconductor substrate; patterning the interlayer dielectric layer to form a trench to expose the source/drain feature within the trench; forming a dielectric liner on sidewalls of the trench; filling a metal layer in the trench; recessing a portion of the metal layer in the trench, thereby forming a recess in the metal layer; and refilling a dielectric material layer in the recess.

Abstract: A method includes forming first and second fins disposed on a substrate, forming a gate structure over the first and second fins, epitaxially growing a first source/drain (S/D) feature on the first fin and a second S/D feature on the second fin, depositing a dielectric layer covering the first and second S/D features, etching the dielectric layer to form a trench exposing the first and second S/D features, forming a metal structure in the trench and extending from the first S/D feature to the second S/D feature, performing a cut metal process to form an opening dividing the metal structure into a first segment over the first S/D feature and a second segment over the second S/D feature, and depositing an isolation feature in the opening. The isolation feature separates the first segment from the second segment.

Abstract: Semiconductor device and the manufacturing method thereof are disclosed. An exemplary semiconductor device comprises a dielectric layer formed over a power rail; a bottom semiconductor layer formed over the dielectric layer; a backside spacer formed along a sidewall of the bottom semiconductor layer; a conductive feature contacting a sidewall of the dielectric layer and a sidewall of the backside spacer; channel semiconductor layers over the bottom semiconductor layer, wherein the channel semiconductor layers are stacked up and separated from each other; a metal gate structure wrapping each of the channel semiconductor layers; and an epitaxial source/drain (S/D) feature contacting a sidewall of each of the channel semiconductor layers, wherein the epitaxial S/D feature contacts the conductive feature, and the conductive feature contacts the power rail.

Abstract: Semiconductor device and the manufacturing method thereof are disclosed. An exemplary semiconductor device comprises a dielectric layer formed over a power rail; a bottom semiconductor layer formed over the dielectric layer; a backside spacer formed along a sidewall of the bottom semiconductor layer; a conductive feature contacting a sidewall of the dielectric layer and a sidewall of the backside spacer; channel semiconductor layers over the bottom semiconductor layer, wherein the channel semiconductor layers are stacked up and separated from each other; a metal gate structure wrapping each of the channel semiconductor layers; and an epitaxial source/drain (S/D) feature contacting a sidewall of each of the channel semiconductor layers, wherein the epitaxial S/D feature contacts the conductive feature, and the conductive feature contacts the power rail.

Abstract: A method and structure for forming a semiconductor device includes etching back a source/drain contact to define a substrate topography including a trench disposed between adjacent hard mask layers. A contact etch stop layer (CESL) is deposited along sidewall and bottom surfaces of the trench, and over the adjacent hard mask layers, to provide the CESL having a snake-like pattern disposed over the substrate topography. A contact via opening is formed in a dielectric layer disposed over the CESL, where the contact via opening exposes a portion of the CESL within the trench. The portion of the CESL exposed by the contact via opening is etched to form an enlarged contact via opening and expose the etched back source/drain contact. A metal layer is deposited within the enlarged contact via opening to provide a contact via in contact with the exposed etched back source/drain contact.

Abstract: An interconnect fabrication method is disclosed herein that utilizes a disposable etch stop hard mask over a gate structure during source/drain contact formation and replaces the disposable etch stop hard mask with a dielectric feature (in some embodiments, dielectric layers having a lower dielectric constant than a dielectric constant of dielectric layers of the disposable etch stop hard mask) before gate contact formation. An exemplary device includes a contact etch stop layer (CESL) having a first sidewall CESL portion and a second sidewall CESL portion separated by a spacing and a dielectric feature disposed over a gate structure, where the dielectric feature and the gate structure fill the spacing between the first sidewall CESL portion and the second sidewall CESL portion. The dielectric feature includes a bulk dielectric over a dielectric liner. The dielectric liner separates the bulk dielectric from the gate structure and the CESL.

Abstract: Semiconductor structures and methods are provided. An exemplary method according to the present disclosure includes forming a first source/drain feature, a second source/drain feature and an interlayer dielectric (ILD) layer over the first and second source/drain features. The method also includes removing a portion of the ILD layer to form a cut feature opening and forming a hybrid cut feature therein to divide a to-be-formed metal layer into multiple pieces as source/drain contacts. The hybrid cut feature includes a conformal dielectric liner over the cut feature opening and a dielectric filler over the dielectric liner. During the formation of a source/drain contact opening, at least a portion of the dielectric liner extending along a sidewall of the dielectric filler is partially and selectively removed, leading to a dimension-reduced hybrid cut feature and thus a reduced spacing between two adjacent source/drain contacts.

Abstract: A method according to the present disclosure includes receiving a workpiece that includes a gate structure, a first gate spacer feature, a second gate spacer feature, a gate-top dielectric feature over the gate structure, the first gate spacer feature and the second gate spacer feature, a first source/drain feature over a first source/drain region, a second source/drain feature over a second source/drain region, a first dielectric layer over the first source/drain feature, and a second dielectric layer over the second source/drain feature. The method further includes replacing a top portion of the first dielectric layer with a first hard mask layer, forming a second hard mask layer over the first hard mask layer while the second dielectric layer is exposed, etching the second dielectric layer to form a source/drain contact opening and to expose the second source/drain feature, and forming a source/drain contact over the second source/drain feature.

Abstract: Semiconductor structures and methods are provided. A semiconductor structure according to the present disclosure includes a first fin structure and a second fin structure over a substrate, a first source/drain feature disposed over the first fin structure and a second source/drain feature disposed over the second fin structure, a dielectric feature disposed over the first source/drain feature, and a contact structure formed over the first source/drain feature and the second source/drain feature. The contact structure is electrically coupled to the second source/drain feature and is separated from the first source/drain feature by the dielectric feature.

Abstract: A method according to the present disclosure includes receiving a workpiece that includes a gate structure, a first gate spacer feature, a second gate spacer feature, a gate-top dielectric feature over the gate structure, the first gate spacer feature and the second gate spacer feature, a first source/drain feature over a first source/drain region, a second source/drain feature over a second source/drain region, a first dielectric layer over the first source/drain feature, and a second dielectric layer over the second source/drain feature. The method further includes replacing a top portion of the first dielectric layer with a first hard mask layer, forming a second hard mask layer over the first hard mask layer while the second dielectric layer is exposed, etching the second dielectric layer to form a source/drain contact opening and to expose the second source/drain feature, and forming a source/drain contact over the second source/drain feature.

Abstract: Semiconductor device and the manufacturing method thereof are disclosed. An exemplary semiconductor device comprises a dielectric layer formed over a power rail; a bottom semiconductor layer formed over the dielectric layer; a backside spacer formed along a sidewall of the bottom semiconductor layer; a conductive feature contacting a sidewall of the dielectric layer and a sidewall of the backside spacer; channel semiconductor layers over the bottom semiconductor layer, wherein the channel semiconductor layers are stacked up and separated from each other; a metal gate structure wrapping each of the channel semiconductor layers; and an epitaxial source/drain (S/D) feature contacting a sidewall of each of the channel semiconductor layers, wherein the epitaxial S/D feature contacts the conductive feature, and the conductive feature contacts the power rail.