Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a substrate, a first isolation structure, a second isolation structure STI, and semiconductor fins. The first isolation structure is on the substrate and has a first thickness. The second isolation structure abuts the first isolation structure and has a second thickness. The first thickness is different from the second thickness. The semiconductor fins respectively abut the first isolation structure and the second isolation structure.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate, a dielectric feature and an epitaxy feature. The epitaxy feature is on the semiconductor substrate. The epitaxy feature has a top central portion and a corner portion. The dielectric feature is closer to the corner portion than the top central portion, and the corner portion has an impurity concentration higher than that of the top central portion.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a FinFET includes at last the following steps. A <551> direction is determined by tilting 8.05±2 degrees from a normal vector of a (110) lattice plane of a semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor substrate is patterned along a lattice plane perpendicular to the <551> direction, so as to form a plurality of trenches in the semiconductor substrate and at least one semiconductor fin having sidewalls disposed on a (551) lattice plane. Insulators are in the trenches. A gate stack is formed over portions of the semiconductor fin and over portions of the insulators. Strained material portions are formed over the semiconductor fins revealed by the gate stack.

Abstract: A hard mask layer with a limited thickness is formed over a gate electrode layer. A treatment is provided on the hard mask layer to transform the hard mask layer to be more resistant to wet etching solution. A patterning is provided on the treated hard mask layer and the gate electrode to from a gate structure.

Abstract: Semiconductor devices and manufacturing method of the same are disclosed. A semiconductor device includes a substrate, a p-type MOS transistor, an n-type MOS transistor and a cured flowable oxide layer. The substrate includes a first region and a second region. The p-type MOS transistor is in the first region. The n-type MOS transistor is in the second region. The cured flowable oxide layer covers the p-type MOS transistor and the n-type MOS transistor, wherein a first strain of the cured flowable oxide layer applying to the p-type MOS transistor is different from a second strain of the cured flowable oxide layer applying to the n-type MOS transistor, and the difference therebetween is greater than 0.002 Gpa.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a FinFET includes at last the following steps. A <551> direction is determined by tilting 8.05±2 degrees from a normal vector of a (110) lattice plane of a semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor substrate is patterned along a lattice plane perpendicular to the <551> direction, so as to form a plurality of trenches in the semiconductor substrate and at least one semiconductor fin having sidewalls disposed on a (551) lattice plane. Insulators are in the trenches. A gate stack is formed over portions of the semiconductor fin and over portions of the insulators. Strained material portions are formed over the semiconductor fins revealed by the gate stack.

Abstract: Semiconductor devices and manufacturing method of the same are disclosed. A semiconductor device includes a substrate, a p-type MOS transistor, an n-type MOS transistor and a cured flowable oxide layer. The substrate includes a first region and a second region. The p-type MOS transistor is in the first region. The n-type MOS transistor is in the second region. The cured flowable oxide layer covers the p-type MOS transistor and the n-type MOS transistor, wherein a first strain of the cured flowable oxide layer applying to the p-type MOS transistor is different from a second strain of the cured flowable oxide layer applying to the n-type MOS transistor, and the difference therebetween is greater than 0.002 Gpa.

Abstract: A FinFET includes a semiconductor substrate, a plurality of insulators, a gate stack, and a strained material. The semiconductor substrate includes at least one semiconductor fin thereon. The semiconductor fin includes source/drain regions and a channel region, and a width of the source/drain regions is larger than a width of the channel region. The insulators are disposed on the semiconductor substrate and the semiconductor fin is sandwiched by the insulators. The gate stack is located over the channel region of the semiconductor fin and over portions of the insulators. The strained material covers the source/drain regions of the semiconductor fin. In addition, a method for fabricating the FinFET is provided.

Abstract: An integrated circuit device and method for manufacturing the integrated circuit device is disclosed. The disclosed method provides improved control over a surface proximity and tip depth of an integrated circuit device. In an embodiment, the method achieves improved control by forming a doped region and a lightly doped source and drain (LDD) region in a source and drain region of the device. The doped region is implanted with a dopant type opposite to the LDD region.

Abstract: A system and method for forming and using a liner is provided. An embodiment comprises forming an opening in an inter-layer dielectric over a substrate and forming the liner along the sidewalls of the opening. A portion of the liner is removed from a bottom of the opening, and a cleaning process may be performed through the liner. By using the liner, damage to the sidewalls of the opening from the cleaning process may be reduced or eliminated. Additionally, the liner may be used to help implantation of ions within the substrate.

Abstract: A FinFET including a substrate, a plurality of isolators, a gate stack, and strained material portions is provided. The substrate includes at least two fins thereon. The isolators are disposed on the substrate, and each of the insulators between the fins has a recess profile. The gate stack is disposed over portions of the fins and over the insulators. The strained material portions cover the fins revealed by the gate stack. In addition, a method for fabricating the FinFET is provided.

Abstract: Semiconductor devices, FinFET devices and methods of forming the same are disclosed. One of the semiconductor devices includes a substrate and a gate over the substrate. Besides, the gate include a first portion, a second portion overlying the first portion and a third portion overlying the second portion, and the critical dimension of the second portion is smaller than each of the critical dimension of the first portion and the critical dimension of the third portion.

Abstract: Techniques in fabricating a fin field-effect transistor (FinFET) include providing a substrate having a fin structure and forming an isolation region having a top surface with a first surface profile. A dopant species is implanted using a tilt angle to edge portions of the top surface. The edge portions are then removed using an etch process. In this respect, the isolation region is modified to have a second surface profile based on an etching rate that is greater than an etching rate used at other portions of the top surface. The second surface profile has a step height that is smaller than a step height corresponding to the first surface profile. The tilt implantation and etching process can be performed before a gate structure is formed, after the gate structure is formed but before the fin structure is recessed, or after the fin structure is recessed.

Abstract: A system and method for forming semiconductor structures is disclosed. An embodiment comprises forming a high diffusibility layer adjacent to a gate stack and forming a low diffusibility layer adjacent to the high diffusibility layer. After these two layers are formed, an anneal is performed to diffuse dopants from the high diffusibility layer underneath the gate stack to help form a channel region.

Abstract: Techniques in fabricating a fin field-effect transistor (FinFET) include providing a substrate having a fin structure and forming an isolation region having a top surface with a first surface profile. A dopant species is implanted using a tilt angle to edge portions of the top surface. The edge portions are then removed using an etch process. In this respect, the isolation region is modified to have a second surface profile based on an etching rate that is greater than an etching rate used at other portions of the top surface. The second surface profile has a step height that is smaller than a step height corresponding to the first surface profile. The tilt implantation and etching process can be performed before a gate structure is formed, after the gate structure is formed but before the fin structure is recessed, or after the fin structure is recessed.

Abstract: A system and method for forming and using a liner is provided. An embodiment comprises forming an opening in an inter-layer dielectric over a substrate and forming the liner along the sidewalls of the opening. A portion of the liner is removed from a bottom of the opening, and a cleaning process may be performed through the liner. By using the liner, damage to the sidewalls of the opening from the cleaning process may be reduced or eliminated. Additionally, the liner may be used to help implantation of ions within the substrate.

Abstract: A system and method for forming and using a liner is provided. An embodiment comprises forming an opening in an inter-layer dielectric over a substrate and forming the liner along the sidewalls of the opening. A portion of the liner is removed from a bottom of the opening, and a cleaning process may be performed through the liner. By using the liner, damage to the sidewalls of the opening from the cleaning process may be reduced or eliminated. Additionally, the liner may be used to help implantation of ions within the substrate.

Abstract: Methods of forming silicide contacts in semiconductor devices are presented. An exemplary method comprises providing a semiconductor substrate having an n-type field effect transistor (nFET) region and on a p-type field effect transistor (pFET) region; performing a pre-amorphized implantation (PAI) process to an n-type doped silicon (Si) feature in on the nFET region and a p-type doped silicon germanium (SiGe) feature in the pFET region, thereby forming an n-type amorphous silicon (a-Si) feature and a p-type amorphous silicon germanium (a-SiGe) feature; depositing a metal layer over each of the a-Si and a-SiGe features; performing an annealing process on the semiconductor device with a temperature ramp-up rate tuned according to a silicide growth rate difference between the n-type a-Si and the p-type a-SiGe features. During the annealing process the n-type a-Si and the p-type a-SiGe features are completely consumed, and amorphous silicide features are formed in the nFET and pFET regions.

Abstract: A method of making shallow trench isolation (STI) structures includes forming a first opening in a substrate and filling the first opening with silicon oxide to form a first STI structure. The method further includes doping a top surface of the silicon oxide with carbon, wherein a bottom portion of the silicon oxide is free of carbon. The method further includes planarizing the silicon oxide so that the top surface of the silicon oxide is at substantially a same level as a surface of the substrate surrounding the silicon oxide.

Abstract: An integrated circuit device and method for manufacturing the integrated circuit device is disclosed. The disclosed method provides improved control over a surface proximity and tip depth of an integrated circuit device. In an embodiment, the method achieves improved control by forming a doped region and a lightly doped source and drain (LDD) region in a source and drain region of the device. The doped region is implanted with a dopant type opposite to the LDD region.