Abstract: A semiconductor structure and a method of forming the same are provided. An exemplary method of forming the semiconductor structure includes receiving a workpiece including a fin structure over a front side of a substrate, recessing a source region of the fin structure to form a source opening, extending the source opening into the substrate to form a plug opening, forming a semiconductor plug in the plug opening, planarizing the substrate to expose the semiconductor plug from a back side of the substrate, performing a first wet etching process to remove a portion of the substrate, performing a pre-amorphous implantation (PAI) process to amorphize a rest portion of the substrate, performing a second wet etching process to remove the amorphized rest portion of the substrate to form a dielectric opening, depositing a dielectric layer in the dielectric opening, and replacing the semiconductor plug with a backside source contact.

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 FinFET device structure is provided. The FinFET device structure includes a gate structure formed over a fin structure, and an S/D contact structure formed adjacent to the gate structure. The FinFET device structure includes a protection layer formed on the S/D contact structure, and an S/D conductive plug formed over the protection layer. The S/D conductive plug is electrically connected to the S/D contact structure by the protection layer.

Abstract: A method includes forming a fin protruding from a substrate, forming a gate structure across the fin, forming an epitaxial feature over the fin, depositing a dielectric layer covering the epitaxial feature and over sidewalls of the gate structure, performing an etching process to form a trench, the trench dividing the gate structure into first and second gate segments and extending into a region of the dielectric layer, forming a dielectric feature in the trench, recessing a portion of the dielectric feature located in the region, selectively etching the dielectric layer to expose the epitaxial feature, and depositing a conductive feature in physical contact with the epitaxial feature and directly above the portion of the dielectric feature.

Abstract: Semiconductor structures and methods for manufacturing the same are provided. The method includes a gate structure formed over a substrate, and a source/drain (S/D) structure formed adjacent to the gate structure. The semiconductor structure includes a dielectric layer formed over the S/D structure, and an S/D contact structure formed over the S/D structure. The S/D contact structure is through the dielectric layer. The semiconductor structure includes a gate contact structure formed through the dielectric layer and landing on the gate structure, and the gate contact structure is in direct contact with the gate structure. The semiconductor structure includes a bridging contact structure covering the gate contact structure and the S/D contact structure, and the bottommost surface of the bridging contact structure is in direct contact with the topmost surface of the S/D contact structure.

Abstract: A semiconductor structure and a method of forming the same are provided. In an embodiment, an exemplary semiconductor structure includes a gate structure disposed over a channel region of an active region, a drain feature disposed over a drain region of the active region; a source feature disposed over a source region of the active region, a backside source contact disposed under the source feature, an isolation feature disposed on and in contact with the source feature, a drain contact disposed over and electrically coupled to the drain feature, and a gate contact via disposed over and electrically coupled to the gate structure. A distance between the gate contact via and the drain contact is greater than a distance between the gate contact via and the isolation feature. The exemplary semiconductor structure would have a reduced parasitic capacitance and an enlarged leakage window.

Abstract: A method of semiconductor fabrication includes providing a semiconductor structure having a substrate and first, second, third, and fourth fins above the substrate. The method further includes forming an n-type epitaxial source/drain (S/D) feature on the first and second fins, forming a p-type epitaxial S/D feature on the third and fourth fins, and performing a selective etch process on the semiconductor structure to remove upper portions of the n-type epitaxial S/D feature and the p-type epitaxial S/D feature such that more is removed from the n-type epitaxial S/D feature than the p-type epitaxial S/D feature.

Abstract: A semiconductor device structure, along with methods of forming such, are described. The semiconductor device structure includes a gate electrode layer disposed over a substrate, a source/drain epitaxial feature disposed over the substrate, a first hard mask layer disposed over the gate electrode layer, and a contact etch stop layer (CESL) disposed over the source/drain epitaxial feature. The structure further includes a first interlayer dielectric (ILD) layer disposed on the CESL and a first treated portion of a second hard mask layer disposed on the CESL and the first ILD layer. A top surface of the first hard mask layer and a top surface of the first treated portion of the second mask layer are substantially coplanar. The structure further includes an etch stop layer disposed on the first hard mask layer and the first treated portion of the second mask layer.

Abstract: A FinFET device structure is provided. The FinFET device structure includes a fin structure formed over a substrate, and a first inter-layer dielectric (ILD) layer formed over the fin structure. The FinFET device structure includes a gate structure formed in the first ILD layer, and a first S/D contact structure formed in the first ILD layer and adjacent to the gate structure. The FinFET device structure also includes a first air gap formed on a sidewall of the first S/D contact structure, and the first air gap is in direct contact with the first ILD layer.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides semiconductor devices and methods of forming the same. A semiconductor device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a first fin-shaped structure extending lengthwise along a first direction over a substrate, a first epitaxial feature over a source/drain region of the first fin-shaped structure, a gate structure disposed over a channel region of the first fin-shaped structure and extending along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and a source/drain contact over the first epitaxial feature. The bottom surface of the gate structure is closer to the substrate than a bottom surface of the source/drain contact.

Abstract: A FinFET device structure and method for forming the same is provided. The FinFET device structure includes an isolation structure formed over a substrate, and a gate structure formed over the isolation structure. The FinFET device structure includes a first dielectric layer formed over the isolation structure and adjacent to the gate structure and a source/drain (S/D) contact structure formed in the first dielectric layer. The FinFET device structure also includes a deep contact structure formed through the first dielectric layer and adjacent to the S/D contact structure. The deep contact structure is through the isolation structure, and a bottom surface of the S/D contact structure is higher than a bottom surface of the deep contact structure.

Abstract: A semiconductor structure includes a substrate, nanostructures over the substrate, and a gate structure wrapping around the nanostructures. The gate structure includes a gate dielectric layer and a gate electrode wrapping around the gate dielectric layer. The semiconductor structure further includes a source/drain feature in contact with the nanostructures, a contact etch stop layer over the source/drain feature, and a seal layer over the air spacer and the gate structure, and on a sidewall of the contact etch stop layer. The contact etch stop layer is separated from the gate structure by an air spacer.

Abstract: A FinFET device structure is provided. The FinFET device structure includes a fin structure formed over a substrate, and a gate structure formed over the fin structure. The FinFET device structure includes a source/drain (S/D) structure formed over the fin structure and adjacent to the gate structure, and an S/D contact structure formed over the S/D structure and adjacent to the gate structure. The FinFET device structure also includes a protection layer formed on the S/D contact structure, and the protection layer and the S/D contact structure are made of different materials. The protection layer has a bottommost surface in direct contact with a topmost surface of the S/D contact structure.

Abstract: A semiconductor device structure is provided. The semiconductor device structure includes a source/drain region formed in a semiconductor substrate, a source/drain contact structure formed over the source/drain region, and a gate electrode layer formed adjacent to the source/drain contact structure. The semiconductor device structure also includes a first spacer and a second spacer laterally and successively arranged from the sidewall of the gate electrode layer to the sidewall of the source/drain contact structure. The semiconductor device structure further includes a silicide region formed in the source/drain region. The top width of the silicide region is greater than the bottom width of the source/drain contact structure and less than the top width of the source/drain region.

Abstract: A semiconductor structure and the manufacturing method thereof are disclosed. An exemplary semiconductor structure includes a first source/drain contact and a second source/drain contact spaced apart by a gate structure, an etch stop layer (ESL) over the first source/drain contact and the second source/drain contact, a conductive feature disposed in the etch stop layer and in direct contact with the first source/drain contact and the second source/drain contact, a dielectric layer over the etch stop layer, and a contact via extending through the dielectric layer and electrically connected to the conductive feature. By providing the conductive feature, a number of metal lines in an interconnect structure of the semiconductor structure may be advantageously reduced.

Abstract: A semiconductor structure and a method of forming the same are provided. In an embodiment, an exemplary method of forming the semiconductor structure includes forming a fin structure extending from a front side of a substrate, recessing a source region of the fin structure to form a source opening, forming a semiconductor plug under the source opening, planarizing the substrate to expose the semiconductor plug from a back side of the substrate, performing a pre-amorphous implantation (PAI) process to amorphize the substrate, replacing the amorphized substrate with a dielectric layer, and replacing the semiconductor plug with a backside source contact. By performing the PAI process, crystalline semiconductor is amorphized and may be substantially removed. Thus, the performance and reliability of the semiconductor structure may be advantageously improved.

Abstract: Examples of an integrated circuit with an interconnect structure and a method for forming the integrated circuit are provided herein. In some examples, the method includes receiving a workpiece that includes an inter-level dielectric layer. A first contact that includes a fill material is formed that extends through the inter-level dielectric layer. The inter-level dielectric layer is recessed such that the fill material extends above a top surface of the inter-level dielectric layer. An etch-stop layer is formed on the inter-level dielectric layer such that the fill material of the first contact extends into the etch-stop layer. A second contact is formed extending through the etch-stop layer to couple to the first contact. In some such examples, the second contact physically contacts a top surface and a side surface of the first contact.

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 semiconductor device and a method of forming the same are provided. In an embodiment, an exemplary semiconductor device includes two stacks of channel members; a source/drain feature extending between the two stacks of channel members along a direction; a source/drain contact disposed under and electrically coupled to the source/drain feature; two gate structures over and interleaved with the two stacks of channel members; a low-k spacer horizontally surrounding the source/drain contact; and a dielectric layer horizontally surrounding the low-k spacer.

Abstract: An embodiment method includes: forming fins extending from a semiconductor substrate; depositing an inter-layer dielectric (ILD) layer on the fins; forming masking layers on the ILD layer; forming a cut mask on the masking layers, the cut mask including a first dielectric material, the cut mask having first openings exposing the masking layers, each of the first openings surrounded on all sides by the first dielectric material; forming a line mask on the cut mask and in the first openings, the line mask having slot openings, the slot openings exposing portions of the cut mask and portions of the masking layers, the slot openings being strips extending perpendicular to the fins; patterning the masking layers by etching the portions of the masking layers exposed by the first openings and the slot openings; and etching contact openings in the ILD layer using the patterned masking layers as an etching mask.