Abstract: A Cu-containing material is provided as an absorber layer of an EUV mask. With the absorber layer of the Cu-containing material, the same lithography performance of a conventional absorber in 70 nm thickness of TaBN can be achieved by only a 30-nm thickness of the absorber layer according to the various embodiments of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the out-off-band (OOB) flare of the radiation light in 193-257 nm can be reduced so as to achieve the better lithography performance.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) is disclosed. The method includes providing a substrate. A first dielectric layer is deposited on the substrate. A patterned photoresist layer is formed on the first dielectric layer. The patterned photoresist layer is trimmed. The first dielectric layer is etched through the trimmed patterned photoresist layer to form a dielectric feature. A sacrificing energy decomposable layer (SEDL) is deposited on the dielectric feature and etched to form a SEDL spacer on sides of the dielectric feature. A second dielectric layer is deposited on the SEDL spacer and etched to form a dielectric spacer. The SEDL spacer is decomposed to form a trench.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) is disclosed. The method includes providing a substrate. A first dielectric layer is deposited on the substrate. A patterned photoresist layer is formed on the first dielectric layer. The patterned photoresist layer is trimmed. The first dielectric layer is etched through the trimmed patterned photoresist layer to form a dielectric feature. A sacrificing energy decomposable layer (SEDL) is deposited on the dielectric feature and etched to form a SEDL spacer on sides of the dielectric feature. A second dielectric layer is deposited on the SEDL spacer and etched to form a dielectric spacer. The SEDL spacer is decomposed to form a trench.

Abstract: A method of forming a semiconductor device includes forming a plurality of substantially equal-spaced first spacers having a first pitch over a substrate and forming first metal interconnecting wires utilizing the first spacers. The method also includes forming a plurality of substantially equal-spaced second spacers in such a way to abut, respectively, the plurality of first metal interconnecting wires and define a plurality of substantially equal-spaced trenches. A plurality of second metal interconnecting wires are disposed, respectively, within the trenches and the second spacers are removed, thereby defining a plurality of substantially equal-spaced channels.

Abstract: A semiconductor arrangement and methods of formation are provided. The semiconductor arrangement includes conductive lines having sidewalls angled between about 45° to about 90° relative to a plane in which bottom surfaces of the conductive lines lie. A dielectric layer is formed over the conductive lines, where forming the dielectric layer after the conductive lines are formed mitigates damage to the dielectric layer, such as by not subjecting the dielectric layer to etching. The angled sidewalls of the conductive lines cause the dielectric layer to pinch off before an area between adjacent conductive lines is filled, thus establishing an air gap between adjacent conductive lines, where the air gap has a lower dielectric constant than the dielectric material. At least one of the substantially undamaged dielectric layer or the air gap serves to reduce parasitic capacitance within the semiconductor arrangement, which improves performance.

Abstract: Disclosed are a method to fabricate interconnection wires of a semiconductor device in a way to utilize benefits of copper interconnection and low k dielectric insulation while avoiding the problem of low k damage due to etching processes, and so fabricated interconnection wires. The method saves fabrication time and cost by reduced number of steps and also resolves metal gap fill issue. The method may comprise providing layers of a substrate, an etch stop layer and a sacrificial layer, forming first spacers, forming first copper interconnecting wires, removing the first spacers; forming polymer-like second spacers by depositing plasma gases in an etching chamber, forming second metal interconnecting wires, removing the second spacers to define channels interwoven with alternating first and second metal interconnecting wires, forming an anti-diffusion barrier around each of the first and second metal interconnecting wires, and filling the channels with a dielectric material for insulation.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) is disclosed. The method includes providing a substrate. A first dielectric layer is deposited on the substrate. A patterned photoresist layer is formed on the first dielectric layer. The patterned photoresist layer is trimmed. The first dielectric layer is etched through the trimmed patterned photoresist layer to form a dielectric feature. A sacrificing energy decomposable layer (SEDL) is deposited on the dielectric feature and etched to form a SEDL spacer on sides of the dielectric feature. A second dielectric layer is deposited on the SEDL spacer and etched to form a dielectric spacer. The SEDL spacer is decomposed to form a trench.

Abstract: A method for forming a field-effect transistor with a raised drain structure is disclosed. The method includes depositing a low-k inter-metal layer over a semiconductor substrate, depositing a porogen-containing low-k layer over the low-k inter-metal layer, and etching a space for the via through the low-k inter-metal layer and the porogen-containing low-k layer. The method further includes depositing a metal layer, a portion of the metal layer filling the space for the via, another portion of the metal layer being over the porogen-containing low-layer, removing the portion of the metal layer over the porogen-containing layer by a CMP process, and curing the porogen-containing low-k layer to form a cured low-k layer.

Abstract: A method of forming a semiconductor device includes depositing a metal spacer over a core supported by a first extremely low-k dielectric layer having metal contacts embedded therein, etching away an upper portion of the metal spacer to expose the core between remaining lower portions of the metal spacer, removing the core from between the remaining lower portions of the metal spacer, and depositing a second extremely low-k dielectric layer over the remaining lower portions of the metal spacer.

Abstract: Among other things, one or more techniques for forming a low k dielectric around a metal line during an integrated circuit (IC) fabrication process are provided. In an embodiment, a metal line is formed prior to forming a surrounding low k dielectric layer around the metal line. In an embodiment, the metal line is formed by filling a trench space in a skeleton layer with metal. In this embodiment, the skeleton layer is removed to form a dielectric space in a different location than the trench space. The dielectric space is then filled with a low k dielectric material to form a surrounding low k dielectric layer around the metal line. In this manner, damage to the surrounding low k dielectric layer, that would otherwise occur if the surrounding low k dielectric layer was etched, for example, is mitigated.

Abstract: Methods of manufacturing semiconductor devices are disclosed. In one embodiment, a material layer is formed over a workpiece. The workpiece includes a first portion, a second portion, and a hard mask disposed between the first portion and the second portion. The material layer is patterned, and first spacers are formed on sidewalls of the patterned material layer. The patterned material layer is removed, and the second portion of the workpiece is patterned using the first spacers as an etch mask. The first spacers are removed, and second spacers are formed on sidewalls of the patterned second portion of the workpiece. The patterned second portion of the workpiece is removed, and the hard mask of the workpiece is patterned using the second spacers as an etch mask. The first portion of the workpiece is patterned using the hard mask as an etch mask.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for alignment are disclosed. An exemplary apparatus includes a substrate having an alignment region; an alignment feature in the alignment region of the substrate; and a dummy feature disposed within the alignment feature. A dimension of the dummy feature is less than a resolution of an alignment mark detector.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for alignment are disclosed. An exemplary apparatus includes a substrate having an alignment region; an alignment feature in the alignment region of the substrate; and a dummy feature disposed within the alignment feature. A dimension of the dummy feature is less than a resolution of an alignment mark detector.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for alignment are disclosed. An exemplary apparatus includes a substrate having an alignment region; an alignment feature in the alignment region of the substrate; and a dummy feature disposed within the alignment feature. A dimension of the dummy feature is less than a resolution of an alignment mark detector.