Abstract: One illustrative transistor device disclosed herein includes a final gate structure that includes a gate insulation layer comprising a high-k material and a conductive gate, wherein the gate structure has an axial length in a direction that corresponds to a gate width direction of the transistor device. The device also includes a sidewall spacer contacting opposing lateral sidewalls of the final gate structure and a pillar structure (comprised of a pillar material) positioned above at least a portion of the final gate structure, wherein, when the pillar structure is viewed in a cross-section taken through the pillar structure in a direction that corresponds to the gate width direction of the transistor device, the pillar structure comprises an outer perimeter and wherein a layer of the high-k material is positioned around the entire outer perimeter of the pillar material.

Abstract: Methods of forming a structure that includes field-effect transistor and structures that include a field effect-transistor. A dielectric cap is formed over a gate structure of a field-effect transistor, and an opening is patterned that extends fully through the dielectric cap to divide the dielectric cap into a first section and a second section spaced across the opening from the first surface. First and second dielectric spacers are respectively selectively deposited on respective first and second surfaces of the first and second sections of the dielectric cap to shorten the opening. A portion of the gate structure exposed through the opening between the first and second dielectric spacers is etched to form a cut that divides the gate electrode into first and second sections disconnected by the cut. A dielectric material is deposited in the opening and in the cut to form a dielectric pillar.

Abstract: An integrated circuit product is disclosed that includes a transistor device that includes a final gate structure, a gate cap, a low-k sidewall spacer positioned on and in contact with opposing sidewalls of the final gate structure, first and second contact etch stop layers (CESLs) located on opposite sides of the final gate structure, whereby the CESLs are positioned on and in contact with the low-k sidewall spacer, and a high-k spacer located on opposite sides of the final gate structure, wherein the high-k spacer is positioned in recesses formed in an upper portion of the CESLs.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to integrated circuit (IC) structures and their method of manufacture. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to forming a semiconductor device having generally fork-shaped contacts around epitaxial regions to increase surface contact area and improve device performance. The integrated circuit (IC) structure of the present disclosure comprises a plurality of fins disposed on a semiconductor substrate, at least one epitaxial region laterally disposed on selected fins, and a contact material positioned over and surrounding the epitaxial region.

Abstract: Methods according to the disclosure include forming a mask over a substrate to cover a first semiconductor region on the substrate and a first gate structure on the first semiconductor region. The second semiconductor region may be recessed from an initial height above the substrate to a reduced height above the substrate. The mask may be removed before forming a plurality of cavities by etching the first and second semiconductor regions, the plurality of cavities including a first cavity having a first depth within the first semiconductor region and a second cavity having a second depth within the second semiconductor region, wherein the second depth is greater than the first depth. The method also may include forming a plurality of epitaxial regions within the plurality of cavities.

Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to semiconductor structures and, more particularly, to gate structures and methods of manufacture. The structure includes: a plurality of gate structures comprising a gate cap, sidewall spacers and source and drain regions; source and drain metallization features extending to the source and drain regions; and a liner extending along an upper portion of the sidewall spacers of at least one of the plurality of gate structures.

Abstract: One illustrative IC product disclosed herein includes an isolation structure that separates a fin into a first fin portion and a second fin portion, an epi semiconductor material positioned on the first fin portion in a source/drain region of a transistor device, wherein a lateral gap is present between a first sidewall of the epi semiconductor material and a second sidewall of the SDB isolation structure, and a conductive source/drain structure that is conductively coupled to the epi semiconductor material, wherein a gap portion of the conductive source/drain structure is positioned in the gap and physically contacts the first sidewall and the second sidewall.

Abstract: A method of forming a gate cut isolation, a related structure and IC are disclosed. The method forms a dummy gate material mandrel having a sidewall positioned between and spaced from a first active region covered by the mandrel and a second active region not covered by the mandrel. A gate cut dielectric layer is formed against the sidewall of the mandrel, and may be trimmed. A dummy gate material may deposited to encase the remaining gate cut dielectric layer. Subsequent dummy gate formation and replacement metal gate processing forms a gate conductor with the gate cut isolation electrically isolating respective first and second portions of the gate conductor. The method creates a very thin, slightly non-vertical gate cut isolation, and eliminates the need to define a gate cut critical dimension or fill a small gate cut opening.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for scheduling graph computing on heterogeneous platforms based on energy efficiency. A scheduling engine receives an edge set that represents a portion of a graph comprising vertices with at least one edge connecting two or more of the vertices. The scheduling engine obtains an operating characteristic for each processing resource of a plurality of heterogeneous processing resources. The scheduling engine computes, based on the operating characteristics and an energy parameter, a set of processing speed values for the edge set, each speed value corresponding to a combination of the edge set and a different processing resource of the plurality of heterogeneous processing resources. The scheduling engine identifies an optimal processing speed value from the set of computed speed values for the edge set.

Abstract: Methods of forming cross-coupling contacts for field-effect transistors and structures for field effect-transistors that include cross-coupling contacts. A dielectric cap is formed over a gate structure and a sidewall spacer adjacent to a sidewall of the gate structure. A portion of the dielectric cap is removed from over the sidewall spacer and the gate structure to expose a first portion of the gate electrode of the gate structure at a top surface of the gate structure. The sidewall spacer is then recessed relative to the gate structure to expose a portion of the gate dielectric layer at the sidewall of the gate structure, which is removed to expose a second portion of the gate electrode of the gate structure. A cross-coupling contact is formed that connects the first and second portions of the gate electrode of the gate structure with an epitaxial semiconductor layer adjacent to the sidewall spacer.

Abstract: A gate cut isolation including an air gap and an IC including the same are disclosed. A method of forming the gate cut isolation may include forming an opening in a dummy gate that extends over a plurality of spaced active regions, the opening positioned between and spaced from a pair of active regions. The opening is filled with a fill material, and the dummy gate is removed. A metal gate is formed in a space vacated by the dummy gate on each side of the fill material, and the fill material is removed to form a preliminary gate cut opening. A liner is deposited in the preliminary gate cut opening, creating a gate cut isolation opening, which is then sealed by depositing a sealing layer. The sealing layer closes an upper end of the gate cut isolation opening and forms the gate cut isolation including an air gap.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes one or more fins extending from a substrate, the one or more fins having source/drain epitaxial grown material (S/D epitaxy) thereon that merges one or more fins, a gate formed over the one or more fins, the gate including high k metal gate disposed between gate spacers and a metal liner over the S/D epitaxy and sides of the gate spacers. The gate includes a self-aligned contact cap over the HKMG and the metal liner.

Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to semiconductor structures and, more particularly, to middle of line structures and methods of manufacture. The structure includes: a plurality of gate structures comprising source and/or drain metallization features; spacers on sidewalls of the gate structures and composed of a first material and a second material; and contacts in electrical contact with the source and/or drain metallization features, and separated from the gate structures by the spacers.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to semiconductor structures and, more particularly, to a single diffusion cut for gate structures and methods of manufacture. The structure includes: a plurality of fin structures composed of semiconductor material; a plurality of replacement gate structures extending over the plurality of fin structures; a plurality of diffusion regions adjacent to the each of the plurality of replacement gate structures; and a single diffusion break between the diffusion regions of the adjacent replacement gate structures, the single diffusion break being filled with an insulator material. In a first cross-sectional view, the single diffusion break extends into the semiconductor material and in a second cross-sectional view, the single diffusion break is devoid of semiconductor material of the plurality of fin structures.

Abstract: One illustrative method disclosed includes, among other things, selectively forming a gate-to-source/drain (GSD) contact opening and a CB gate contact opening in at least one layer of insulating material and forming an initial gate-to-source/drain (GSD) contact structure and an initial CB gate contact structure in their respective openings, wherein an upper surface of each of the GSD contact structure and the CB gate contact structure is positioned at a first level, and performing a recess etching process on the initial GSD contact structure and the initial CB gate contact structure to form a recessed GSD contact structure and a recessed CB gate contact structure, wherein a recessed upper surface of each of these recessed contact structures is positioned at a second level that is below the first level.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to semiconductor structures and, more particularly, to faceted epitaxial source/drain regions and methods of manufacture. The structure includes: a gate structure over a substrate; an L-shaped sidewall spacer located on sidewalls of the gate structure and extending over the substrate adjacent to the gate structure; and faceted diffusion regions on the substrate, adjacent to the L-shaped sidewall spacer.

Abstract: One integrated circuit product disclosed herein includes a first final gate structure for a first transistor device, a second final gate structure for a second transistor device, wherein the first and second transistor devices have a gate width that extends in a gate width direction and a gate length that extends in a gate length direction, and a gate separation structure positioned between the first and second final gate structures, the gate separation structure comprising at least one insulating material. The gate separation structure further has a substantially uniform width in the gate width direction for substantially an entire vertical height of the gate separation structure and a first side surface and a second side surface, wherein an end surface of the first final gate structure contacts the first side surface and an end surface of the second final gate structure contacts the second side surface.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to semiconductor structures and, more particularly, to a scaled gate contact and source/drain cap and methods of manufacture. The structure includes: a gate structure comprising an active region; source and drain contacts adjacent to the gate structure; a capping material over the source and drain contacts; a gate contact formed directly above the active region of the gate structure and over the capping material; a U-shape dielectric material around the gate contact, above the source and drain contacts; and a contact in direct electrical contact to the source and drain contacts.

Abstract: A FinFET structure having reduced effective capacitance and including a substrate having at least two fins thereon laterally spaced from one another, a metal gate over fin tops of the fins and between sidewalls of upper portions of the fins, source/drain regions in each fin on opposing sides of the metal gate, and a dielectric bar within the metal gate located between the sidewalls of the upper portions of the fins, the dielectric bar being laterally spaced away from the sidewalls of the upper portions of the fins within the metal gate.

Abstract: Methods form structures that include (among other components) semiconductor fins extending from a substrate, gate insulators contacting channel regions of the semiconductor fins, and gate conductors positioned adjacent the channel regions and contacting the gate insulators. Additionally, epitaxial source/drain material contacts the semiconductor fins on opposite sides of the channel regions, and source/drain conductive contacts contact the epitaxial source/drain material. Also, first insulating spacers are on the gate conductors. The gate conductors are linear conductors perpendicular to the semiconductor fins, and the first insulating spacers are on both sides of the gate conductors. Further, second insulating spacers are on the first insulating spacers; however, the second insulating spacers are only on the first insulating spacers in locations between where the gate conductors intersect the semiconductor fins.