Abstract: Semiconductor structures and methods for manufacturing the same are provided. The semiconductor structure includes first nanostructures formed over a substrate along a first direction, and second nanostructures formed over the substrate along the first direction. The semiconductor structure includes a first gate structure formed over the first nanostructures along a second direction, and a second gate structure formed over the second nanostructures along the second direction. The semiconductor structure also includes a dielectric wall structure between the first gate structure and the second gate structure along the second direction. The semiconductor structure also includes a dielectric strip structure formed along the second direction. The dielectric strip structure includes a protruding portion which is lower than a bottom surface of a bottommost first nanostructure.

Abstract: A method includes forming a transistor over a substrate, the transistor comprising a channel region, a gate structure over the channel region, and a plurality of source/drain regions on opposite sides of the channel region; forming a source/drain contact over one of the source/drain regions; forming a source/drain via over the source/drain contact, wherein from a top view, the source/drain via has a T-shaped profile, the source/drain via has a first portion extending in a lengthwise direction of the channel region, and a second portion extending in a lengthwise direction of the gate structure.

Abstract: Semiconductor structures and methods for manufacturing the same are provided. The semiconductor structure includes first nanostructures formed over a substrate along a first direction, and second nanostructures formed over the substrate along the first direction. The semiconductor structure includes a first gate structure formed over the first nanostructures along a second direction, and a second gate structure formed over the second nanostructures along the second direction. The semiconductor structure also includes a dielectric wall structure between the first gate structure and the second gate structure along the second direction. The dielectric wall structure includes a top portion and a bottom portion, and a top width of a top surface of the top portion is smaller than a bottom width of a bottom surface of the bottom portion of the dielectric wall structure.

Abstract: Methods for forming a gate structure of a multi-gate device are provided. An example method includes depositing a gate dielectric layer over first nanostructures over a first region of a substrate and second nanostructures over a second region of the substrate, depositing a first work function metal (WFM) layer over the first nanostructures and the second nanostructures, depositing a first hard mask (HM) layer over the first WFM layer, selectively removing the first HM layer and the first WFM layer over the first region, selectively removing the first HM layer over the second region, depositing a second WFM layer over the substrate, depositing a second HM layer over the second WFM layer, selectively removing the second HM layer and the second WFM layer over the first region, selectively removing the second HM layer over the second region, and depositing a third WFM layer over the substrate.

Abstract: A method for forming a semiconductor structure is provided. The method includes forming a first nanostructure and a second nanostructure over a substrate, forming a first interfacial layer on the first nanostructure and a second interfacial layer on the second nanostructure, forming a first gate dielectric layer on the first interfacial layer and a second gate dielectric layer on the second interfacial layer, forming a patterned mask layer on the second gate dielectric layer while exposing the first gate dielectric layer, and driving nitrogen into the first interfacial layer, thereby forming a nitrogen-doped interfacial layer.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming a first stack of nanostructures suspended in a first region, a second stack of nanostructures suspended in a second region, and a third stack of nanostructures suspended in a third region, depositing a first work function (WF) layer wrapping around the nanostructures in the first, second, and third regions, removing the first WF layer from the first and second regions, depositing a second WF layer wrapping around the nanostructures in the first and second regions and over the first WF layer in the third region, removing the second WF layer from the first region, depositing a third WF layer wrapping around the nanostructures in the first region and over the second WF layer in the second and third regions, and forming a capping layer over the third WF layer in the first, second, and third regions.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure relates to a semiconductor device structure. The structure includes a first source/drain feature, a first interlayer dielectric (ILD) disposed over the first source/drain feature, a first conductive feature extending through the first ILD and in electrical contact with the first source/drain feature, and a gate electrode layer extending through the first ILD and disposed adjacent the first conductive feature, wherein a top surface of the first conductive feature and a top surface of the gate electrode layer are substantially co-planar.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a silicon substrate and a fin formed above the substrate. The fin provides active regions for two devices, such as gate-all-around transistors. The semiconductor device also includes a fin-insulating structure positioned to electrically isolate the active regions for the two devices. The fin-insulating structure is formed in a trench, with a first portion adjacent the fin and a second portion below the fin and extending into the substrate. The fin-insulating structure includes an oxide liner in the second portion of the trench, but not the first portion. The fin-insulating structure is further filled with an insulating material such as silicon nitride.

Abstract: A method for forming a semiconductor structure is provided. The method includes forming a channel layer over a substrate, forming a source/drain feature adjoining the channel layer, and forming a gate stack over the channel layer. The gate stack includes a gate dielectric layer and a gate electrode layer nested within the gate dielectric layer. The method also includes recessing the gate dielectric layer to expose the gate electrode layer, forming a filling layer over the gate stack and the source/drain feature, and forming a contact plug through the filling layer and on the source/drain feature.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a silicon substrate and a fin formed above the substrate. The fin provides active regions for two devices, such as gate-all-around transistors. The semiconductor device also includes a fin-insulating structure positioned to electrically isolate the active regions for the two devices. The fin-insulating structure is formed in a trench, with a first portion adjacent the fin and a second portion below the fin and extending into the substrate. The fin-insulating structure includes an oxide liner in the second portion of the trench, but not the first portion. The fin-insulating structure is further filled with an insulating material such as silicon nitride.

Abstract: A method for forming a semiconductor structure is provided. The method for forming the semiconductor structure includes a first contact plug and a second contact plug through a first dielectric layer, forming a second dielectric layer over the first contact plug, the second contact plug and the first dielectric layer, etching the second dielectric layer to form a first opening exposing the first contact plug, the second contact plug and the first dielectric layer, forming a bottom via portion in the first opening, forming a third dielectric layer over the bottom via portion and the second dielectric layer, etching the third dielectric layer to form a second opening exposing the bottom via portion, and forming a top via portion in the second opening. The top via portion and the bottom via portion form a first via.

Abstract: A method for forming a semiconductor device structure is provided. The method includes providing a conductive structure. The method includes forming a first dielectric layer over the conductive structure. The method includes forming a conductive via structure that passes through the first dielectric layer. The conductive via structure is over and connected to the conductive structure, the conductive via structure has a first portion and a second portion over the first portion, and a first overall diffusion rate of the second portion in the first dielectric layer is lower than a second overall diffusion rate of the first portion in the first dielectric layer. The method includes forming a second dielectric layer over the conductive via structure and the first dielectric layer. The method includes forming a conductive line that passes through the second dielectric layer.

Abstract: In one exemplary aspect, a method for semiconductor manufacturing comprises forming first and second silicon nitride features on sidewall surfaces of a contact hole, where the contact hole is disposed in a dielectric layer and above a source/drain (S/D) feature. The method further comprises forming a contact plug in the contact hole, the contact plug being electrically coupled to the S/D feature, removing a top portion of the contact plug to create a recess in the contact hole, forming a hard mask layer in the recess, and removing the first and second silicon nitride features via selective etching to form first and second air gaps, respectively.

Abstract: A method for forming a semiconductor device structure is provided. The method includes forming an isolation layer over a substrate. The method includes forming a spacer layer over the first fin, the second fin, and the isolation layer. The method includes forming a gate dielectric layer in the first trench and covering the first fin, the second fin, and the isolation layer exposed by the first trench. The method includes partially removing the gate dielectric layer to form a second trench in the gate dielectric layer and between the first fin and the second fin. The method includes forming a gate electrode in the first trench of the spacer layer and over the gate dielectric layer.

Abstract: An IC structure and a method of forming the same are provided. In an embodiment, an exemplary method of forming the IC structure forming a first semiconductor fin and a second semiconductor fin protruding from a substrate, forming a high-k metal gate (HKMG) structure over the first semiconductor fin and the second semiconductor fin, forming a trench to separate the HKMG structure into two portions, conformally depositing a first dielectric layer in the trench, depositing a second dielectric layer over the first dielectric layer to fill the trench, wherein the second dielectric layer includes nitrogen, and the first dielectric layer is free of nitrogen, and planarizing the first dielectric layer and second dielectric layer to form a gate isolation structure in the trench.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a first gate structure disposed on a substrate and extending in a first direction. The first gate structure includes a first gate electrode, a first cap insulating layer disposed over the first gate electrode, first sidewall spacers disposed on opposing side faces of the first gate electrode and the first cap insulating layer and second sidewall spacers disposed over the first sidewall spacers. The semiconductor device further includes a first protective layer formed over the first cap insulating layer, the first sidewall spacers and the second sidewall spacers. The first protective layer has a ?-shape having a head portion and two leg portions in a cross section along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

Abstract: A method for forming a semiconductor structure is provided. The method for forming the semiconductor structure includes forming first fin structures and a second fin structures over a substrate, forming a first gate stack and a second gate stack that extend in a first direction across the first fin structures and the second fin structures, respectively, and etching the first gate stack and the second gate stack to form a first trench through the first gate stack and a second trench through the second gate stack. A first dimension of the first trench in the first direction is greater than a second dimension of the second trench in the first direction. The method further includes forming a first gate cutting structure and a second gate cutting structure in the first trench and the second trench, respectively.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method that includes receiving a semiconductor substrate that includes an integrated circuit (IC) cell and a well tap cell surrounding the IC cell; forming first fin active regions in the well tap cell and second fin active regions in the IC cell; forming a hard mask within the well tap cell, wherein the hard mask includes openings that define first source/drain (S/D) regions on the first fin active region of the well tap cell; forming gate stacks on the second fin active regions within the IC cell and absent from the well tap cell, wherein the gate stacks define second S/D regions on the second fin active regions; epitaxially growing first S/D features in the first S/D regions using the hard mask to constrain the epitaxially growing; and forming contacts landing on the first S/D features within the well tap cell.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a source via having a body portion and a barrier layer surrounding the body portion, and the body portion is in physical contact with the source contact. Furthermore, the barrier layer includes at least one sidewall section separating the source via from an adjacent via structure. As such, the via to via leakage may be prevented. Overall, by providing a semiconductor device having the above structures, the contact resistance is reduced, and the device performance is further improved.

Abstract: Semiconductor structures and methods are provided. An exemplary method according to the present disclosure includes receiving a workpiece including a first semiconductor fin and a second semiconductor fin penetrating from a substrate and separated by a first isolation feature, and a gate structure intersecting the first semiconductor fin and the second semiconductor fin. The method also includes removing the gate structure and portions of the first semiconductor fin, the second semiconductor fin, and the first isolation feature disposed directly under the gate structure to form a fin isolation trench, forming a dielectric layer over the workpiece to substantially fill the fin isolation trench, and planarizing the dielectric layer to form a fin isolation structure in the fin isolation trench.