Abstract: A method includes forming a dummy gate structure over a substrate; forming a source/drain structure over the substrate; replacing the dummy gate structure with a metal gate structure; forming a protection cap over the metal gate structure; forming a source/drain contact over the source/drain structure; performing a selective deposition process to form a first etch stop layer on the protection cap, in which the selective deposition process has a faster deposition rate on the protection cap than on the source/drain contact; depositing a second etch stop layer over the first etch stop layer the source/drain contact; etching the second etch stop layer to form an opening; and forming a via contact in the opening.

Abstract: Semiconductor devices including air spacers formed in a backside interconnect structure and methods of forming the same are disclosed. In an embodiment, a device includes a first transistor structure; a front-side interconnect structure on a front-side of the first transistor structure; and a backside interconnect structure on a backside of the first transistor structure, the backside interconnect structure including a first dielectric layer on the backside of the first transistor structure; a first via extending through the first dielectric layer, the first via being electrically coupled to a first source/drain region of the first transistor structure; a first conductive line electrically coupled to the first via; and an air spacer adjacent the first conductive line, the first conductive line defining a first side boundary of the air spacer.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a first dielectric layer, a stack of semiconductor layers disposed over the first dielectric layer, a gate structure wrapping around each of the semiconductor layers and extending lengthwise along a direction, and a dielectric fin structure and an isolation structure disposed on opposite sides of the stack of semiconductor layers and embedded in the gate structure. The dielectric fin structure has a first width along the direction smaller than a second width of the isolation structure along the direction. The isolation structure includes a second dielectric layer extending through the gate structure and the first dielectric layer, and a third dielectric layer extending through the first dielectric layer and disposed on a bottom surface of the gate structure and a sidewall of the first dielectric layer.

Abstract: FCVD using multi-step anneal treatment and devices thereof are disclosed. In an embodiment, a method includes depositing a flowable dielectric film on a substrate. The flowable dielectric film is deposited between a first semiconductor fin and a second semiconductor fin. The method further includes annealing the flowable dielectric film at a first anneal temperature for at least 5 hours to form a first dielectric film, annealing the first dielectric film at a second anneal temperature higher than the first anneal temperature to form a second dielectric film, annealing the second dielectric film at a third anneal temperature higher than the first anneal temperature to form an insulating layer, applying a planarization process to the insulating layer, and etching the insulating layer to STI regions on the substrate.

Abstract: In some embodiments, the present disclosure relates to an integrated chip structure. The integrated chip structure includes a substrate. A gate electrode is over the substrate and a spacer structure laterally surrounds the gate electrode. A conductive via is disposed on the gate electrode. A liner is arranged along one or more sidewalls of the spacer structure. The conductive via has a bottommost surface that has a larger width than a part of the conductive via that is laterally adjacent to one or more interior sidewalls of the liner.

Abstract: A semiconductor device structure is provided. The semiconductor device structure includes a stack of semiconductor nanostructures over a base structure and a first epitaxial structure and a second epitaxial structure sandwiching the semiconductor nanostructures. The semiconductor device structure also includes a gate stack wrapped around each of the semiconductor nanostructures and a backside conductive contact connected to the second epitaxial structure. A first portion of the backside conductive contact is directly below the base structure, and a second portion of the backside conductive contact extends upwards to approach a bottom surface of the second epitaxial structure. The semiconductor device structure further includes an insulating spacer between a sidewall of the base structure and the backside conductive contact.

Abstract: A method includes receiving a substrate having a front side and a back side, forming a shallow trench in the substrate from the front side, forming a liner layer including a first dielectric material in the shallow trench, depositing a second dielectric material different from the first dielectric material on the liner layer to form an isolation feature in the shallow trench, forming an active region surrounded by the isolation feature, forming a gate stack on the active region, forming a source/drain (S/D) feature on the active region and on a side of the gate stack, thinning down the substrate from the back side such that the isolation feature is exposed, etching the active region to expose the S/D feature from the back side to form a backside trench, and forming a backside via feature landing on the S/D feature and surrounded by the liner layer.

Abstract: Semiconductor device and the manufacturing method thereof are disclosed herein. An exemplary semiconductor device comprises a semiconductor fin disposed over a substrate; a metal gate structure disposed over a channel region of the semiconductor fin; a first interlayer dielectric (ILD) layer disposed over a source/drain (S/D) region next to the channel region of the semiconductor fin; and a first conductive feature including a first conductive portion disposed on the metal gate structure and a second conductive portion disposed on the first ILD layer, wherein a top surface of the first conductive portion is below a top surface of the second conductive portion, a first sidewall of the first conductive portion connects a lower portion of a first sidewall of the second conductive portion.

Abstract: A method includes forming a dummy gate structure over a substrate; forming a source/drain structure over the substrate; replacing the dummy gate structure with a metal gate structure; forming a protection cap over the metal gate structure; forming a source/drain contact over the source/drain structure; performing a selective deposition process to form a first etch stop layer on the protection cap, in which the selective deposition process has a faster deposition rate on the protection cap than on the source/drain contact; depositing a second etch stop layer over the first etch stop layer the source/drain contact; etching the second etch stop layer to form an opening; and forming a via contact in the opening.

Abstract: Embodiments include nanostructure devices and methods of forming nanostructure devices which include a treatment process to expand a sidewall spacer material to close a seam in the sidewall spacer material after deposition. The treatment process includes oxidation anneal and heat anneal to expand the sidewall spacer material and crosslink the open seam to form a closed seam, lower k-value, and decrease density.

Abstract: Embodiments include nanostructure devices and methods of forming nanostructure devices which include a treatment process to expand a sidewall spacer material to close a seam in the sidewall spacer material after deposition. The treatment process includes oxidation anneal and heat anneal to expand the sidewall spacer material and crosslink the open seam to form a closed seam, lower k-value, and decrease density.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming a multi-layer stack of alternating first layers of a first semiconductor material and second layers of a second semiconductor material on a semiconductor substrate, forming a first recess through the multi-layer stack, and laterally recessing sidewalls of the second layers of the multi-layer stack. The sidewalls are adjacent to the first recess. The method further includes forming inner spacers with respective seams adjacent to the recessed second layers of the multi-layer stack and performing an anneal treatment on the inner spacers to close the respective seams.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming a multi-layer stack of alternating first layers of a first semiconductor material and second layers of a second semiconductor material on a semiconductor substrate, forming a first recess through the multi-layer stack, and laterally recessing sidewalls of the second layers of the multi-layer stack. The sidewalls are adjacent to the first recess. The method further includes forming inner spacers with respective seams adjacent to the recessed second layers of the multi-layer stack and performing an anneal treatment on the inner spacers to close the respective seams.

Abstract: A method includes forming fin structures upwardly extending above a semiconductor substrate; conformally depositing a first dielectric layer over the fin structures; depositing a flowable oxide over the first dielectric layer and between the fin structures; performing, at a temperature lower than about 500° C., a steam annealing process on the flowable oxide to cure the flowable oxide; after performing the steam annealing process, etching the cured flowable oxide until a top surface of the cured flowable oxide is lower than top surfaces of the fin structures; forming a second dielectric layer over the cured flowable oxide; forming a first gate structure extending across a first one of the fin structures and a second gate structure extending across a second one of the fin structures; forming first sources/drain regions on the first one of the fin structures and second sources/drain regions on the second one of the fin structures.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming a multi-layer stack of alternating first layers of a first semiconductor material and second layers of a second semiconductor material on a semiconductor substrate, forming a first recess through the multi-layer stack, and laterally recessing sidewalls of the second layers of the multi-layer stack. The sidewalls are adjacent to the first recess. The method further includes forming inner spacers with respective seams adjacent to the recessed second layers of the multi-layer stack and performing an anneal treatment on the inner spacers to close the respective seams.

Abstract: FCVD using multi-step anneal treatment and devices thereof are disclosed. In an embodiment, a method includes depositing a flowable dielectric film on a substrate. The flowable dielectric film is deposited between a first semiconductor fin and a second semiconductor fin. The method further includes annealing the flowable dielectric film at a first anneal temperature for at least 5 hours to form a first dielectric film, annealing the first dielectric film at a second anneal temperature higher than the first anneal temperature to form a second dielectric film, annealing the second dielectric film at a third anneal temperature higher than the first anneal temperature to form an insulating layer, applying a planarization process to the insulating layer, and etching the insulating layer to STI regions on the substrate.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming a multi-layer stack of alternating first layers of a first semiconductor material and second layers of a second semiconductor material on a semiconductor substrate, forming a first recess through the multi-layer stack, and laterally recessing sidewalls of the second layers of the multi-layer stack. The sidewalls are adjacent to the first recess. The method further includes forming inner spacers with respective seams adjacent to the recessed second layers of the multi-layer stack and performing an anneal treatment on the inner spacers to close the respective seams.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming a multi-layer stack of alternating first layers of a first semiconductor material and second layers of a second semiconductor material on a semiconductor substrate, forming a first recess through the multi-layer stack, and laterally recessing sidewalls of the second layers of the multi-layer stack. The sidewalls are adjacent to the first recess. The method further includes forming inner spacers with respective seams adjacent to the recessed second layers of the multi-layer stack and performing an anneal treatment on the inner spacers to close the respective seams.

Abstract: Embodiments include nanostructure devices and methods of forming nanostructure devices which include a treatment process to expand a sidewall spacer material to close a seam in the sidewall spacer material after deposition. The treatment process includes oxidation anneal and heat anneal to expand the sidewall spacer material and crosslink the open seam to form a closed seam, lower k-value, and decrease density.

Abstract: A device having an epitaxial region and dual metal-semiconductor alloy surfaces is provided. The epitaxial region includes an upward facing facet and a downward facing facet. The upward facing facet has a first metal-semiconductor alloy surface and the downward facing facet has a second metal-semiconductor alloy surface, wherein the first metal-semiconductor alloy is different than the second metal-semiconductor alloy.