Abstract: In an embodiment, a method includes: placing a wafer on an implanter platen, the wafer including alignment marks; measuring a position of the wafer by measuring positions of the alignment marks with one or more cameras; determining an angular displacement between the position of the wafer and a reference position of the wafer; and rotating the implanter platen by the angular displacement.

Abstract: A device includes a fin extending from a semiconductor substrate; a gate stack over the fin; a first spacer on a sidewall of the gate stack; a source/drain region in the fin adjacent the first spacer; an inter-layer dielectric layer (ILD) extending over the gate stack, the first spacer, and the source/drain region, the ILD having a first portion and a second portion, wherein the second portion of the ILD is closer to the gate stack than the first portion of the ILD; a contact plug extending through the ILD and contacting the source/drain region; a second spacer on a sidewall of the contact plug; and an air gap between the first spacer and the second spacer, wherein the first portion of the ILD extends across the air gap and physically contacts the second spacer, wherein the first portion of the ILD seals the air gap.

Abstract: A semiconductor device and a method of forming the same are provided. The semiconductor device includes a substrate, a gate structure, a dielectric structure and a contact structure. The substrate has source/drain (S/D) regions. The gate structure is on the substrate and between the S/D regions. The dielectric structure covers the gate structure. The contact structure penetrates through the dielectric structure to connect to the S/D region. A lower portion of a sidewall of the contact structure is spaced apart from the dielectric structure by an air gap therebetween, while an upper portion of the sidewall of the contact structure is in contact with the dielectric structure.

Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein relate to using an implantation process and a melting anneal process performed on a nanosecond scale to achieve a high surface concentration (surface pile up) dopant profile and a retrograde dopant profile simultaneously. In an embodiment, a method includes forming a source/drain structure in an active area on a substrate, the source/drain structure including a first region comprising germanium, implanting a first dopant into the first region of the source/drain structure to form an amorphous region in at least the first region of the source/drain structure, implanting a second dopant into the amorphous region containing the first dopant, and heating the source/drain structure to liquidize and convert at least the amorphous region into a crystalline region, the crystalline region containing the first dopant and the second dopant.

Abstract: A method of correcting a misalignment of a wafer on a wafer holder and an apparatus for performing the same are disclosed. In an embodiment, a semiconductor alignment apparatus includes a wafer stage; a wafer holder over the wafer stage; a first position detector configured to detect an alignment of a wafer over the wafer holder in a first direction; a second position detector configured to detect an alignment of the wafer over the wafer holder in a second direction; and a rotational detector configured to detect a rotational alignment of the wafer over the wafer holder.

Abstract: A method includes forming a gate stack on a first portion of a semiconductor substrate, removing a second portion of the semiconductor substrate on a side of the gate stack to form a recess, growing a semiconductor region starting from the recess, implanting the semiconductor region with an impurity, and performing a melt anneal on the semiconductor region. At least a portion of the semiconductor region is molten during the melt anneal.

Abstract: A method includes implanting impurities in a semiconductor substrate to form an etch stop region within the semiconductor substrate; forming a transistor structure on a front side of the semiconductor substrate; forming a front-side interconnect structure over the transistor structure; performing a thinning process on a back side of the semiconductor substrate to reduce a thickness of the semiconductor substrate, wherein the thinning process is slowed by the etch stop region; and forming a back-side interconnect structure over the back side of the semiconductor substrate.

Abstract: A method of forming a semiconductor device includes forming a source/drain region and a gate electrode adjacent the source/drain region, forming a hard mask over the gate electrode, forming a bottom mask over the source/drain region, wherein the gate electrode is exposed, and performing a nitridation process on the hard mask over the gate electrode. The bottom mask remains over the source/drain region during the nitridation process and is removed after the nitridation. The method further includes forming a silicide over the source/drain region after removing the bottom mask.

Abstract: A method of exposing a wafer to a high-tilt angle ion beam and an apparatus for performing the same are disclosed. In an embodiment, a method includes forming a patterned mask layer over a wafer, the patterned mask layer including a patterned mask feature; exposing the wafer to an ion beam, a surface of the wafer being tilted at a tilt angle with respect to the ion beam; and moving the wafer along a scan line with respect to the ion beam, a scan angle being defined between the scan line and an axis perpendicular to an axis of the ion beam, a difference between the tilt angle and the scan angle being less than 50°.

Abstract: A semiconductor structure is provided. The semiconductor structure includes a gate structure over a substrate. The semiconductor structure also includes source/drain structures on opposite sides of the gate structure. The semiconductor structure also includes a dielectric layer over the gate structure and the source/drain structures. The semiconductor structure also includes a via plug passing through the dielectric layer and including a first group IV element. The dielectric layer includes a second group IV element, a first compound, and a second compound, and the second compound includes elements in the first compound and the first group IV element.

Abstract: A device includes a fin extending from a semiconductor substrate; a gate stack over the fin; a first spacer on a sidewall of the gate stack; a source/drain region in the fin adjacent the first spacer; an inter-layer dielectric layer (ILD) extending over the gate stack, the first spacer, and the source/drain region, the ILD having a first portion and a second portion, wherein the second portion of the ILD is closer to the gate stack than the first portion of the ILD; a contact plug extending through the ILD and contacting the source/drain region; a second spacer on a sidewall of the contact plug; and an air gap between the first spacer and the second spacer, wherein the first portion of the ILD extends across the air gap and physically contacts the second spacer, wherein the first portion of the ILD seals the air gap.

Abstract: A method of forming a semiconductor device includes: forming semiconductor fin structures over a substrate, where each of the semiconductor fin structures includes a layer stack over a semiconductor fin, the layer stack including alternating layers of a first semiconductor material and a second semiconductor material; forming a capping layer over sidewalls and upper surfaces of the semiconductor fin structures; and forming hybrid fins over isolation regions on opposing sides of the semiconductor fin structures, where forming the hybrid fins includes: forming dielectric fins over the isolation regions; and forming dielectric structures over the dielectric fins, which includes: forming an etch stop layer (ESL) over the dielectric fins; doping the ESL with a dopant; and forming a first dielectric material over the doped ESL.

Abstract: A method includes coating a photoresist film over a target layer; performing a lithography process to pattern the photoresist film into a photoresist layer, wherein the photoresist layer has an opening, and the opening of the photoresist layer at least has a first sidewall, a second sidewall non-parallel with the first sidewall, and a first corner connecting the first and second sidewalls; performing a first directional ion bombardment process to the first corner of the photoresist layer along a first direction, wherein the first direction is non-perpendicular to both the first and second sidewalls of the photoresist when viewed from top; and after the first directional ion bombardment process is complete, patterning the target layer using the photoresist layer as a patterning mask.

Abstract: In a method of forming a pattern, a photo resist layer is formed over an underlying layer, the photo resist layer is exposed to an actinic radiation carrying pattern information, the exposed photo resist layer is developed to form a developed resist pattern, a directional etching operation is applied to the developed resist pattern to form a trimmed resist pattern, and the underlying layer is patterned using the trimmed resist pattern as an etching mask.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device includes: forming a first type well in a substrate; and after forming the first type well in the substrate, forming a second type well in the substrate, where the second type well has a conductivity type different from that of the first type well. One of the first and second type wells is formed by sequentially performing multiple ion implantations that use different energies, and one of the ion implantations that uses a lowest energy among the ion implantations is performed first among the ion implantations.

Abstract: Methods for improving sealing between contact plugs and adjacent dielectric layers and semiconductor devices formed by the same are disclosed. In an embodiment, a semiconductor device includes a first dielectric layer over a conductive feature, a first portion of the first dielectric layer including a first dopant; a metal feature electrically coupled to the conductive feature, the metal feature including a first contact material in contact with the conductive feature; a second contact material over the first contact material, the second contact material including a material different from the first contact material, a first portion of the second contact material further including the first dopant; and a dielectric liner between the first dielectric layer and the metal feature, a first portion of the dielectric liner including the first dopant.

Abstract: A method includes forming a gate stack on a first portion of a semiconductor substrate, removing a second portion of the semiconductor substrate on a side of the gate stack to form a recess, growing a semiconductor region starting from the recess, implanting the semiconductor region with an impurity, and performing a melt anneal on the semiconductor region. At least a portion of the semiconductor region is molten during the melt anneal.

Abstract: A method of correcting a misalignment of a wafer on a wafer holder and an apparatus for performing the same are disclosed. In an embodiment, a semiconductor alignment apparatus includes a wafer stage; a wafer holder over the wafer stage; a first position detector configured to detect an alignment of a wafer over the wafer holder in a first direction; a second position detector configured to detect an alignment of the wafer over the wafer holder in a second direction; and a rotational detector configured to detect a rotational alignment of the wafer over the wafer holder.

Abstract: A method for forming a semiconductor device is provided. In some embodiments, the method includes forming a target layer over a semiconductor substrate, forming a carbon-rich hard masking layer over the target layer, patterning features in the carbon-rich hard masking layer using an etching process, performing a directional ion beam trimming process on the features patterned in the carbon-rich hard masking layer, and patterning the target layer using the carbon-rich hard masking layer as a mask.

Abstract: Methods for improving sealing between contact plugs and adjacent dielectric layers and semiconductor devices formed by the same are disclosed. In an embodiment, a semiconductor device includes a first dielectric layer over a conductive feature, a first portion of the first dielectric layer including a first dopant; a metal feature electrically coupled to the conductive feature, the metal feature including a first contact material in contact with the conductive feature; a second contact material over the first contact material, the second contact material including a material different from the first contact material, a first portion of the second contact material further including the first dopant; and a dielectric liner between the first dielectric layer and the metal feature, a first portion of the dielectric liner including the first dopant.