Abstract: A semiconductor device with a barrier layer between a gate structure and gate spacer layers, and a method of fabricating the same are disclosed. The a method includes forming a fin structure on a substrate, forming a polysilicon structure on the fin structure, performing a nitridation operation to form a barrier layer on the polysilicon structure and the fin structure, forming gate spacer layers on the barrier layer, forming a source/drain region in the fin structure and adjacent to the barrier layer, annealing the gate spacer layers, and replacing the polysilicon structure with a gate structure.

Abstract: Aluminum-containing layers and systems and methods for forming the same are provided. In an embodiment, a method includes depositing an aluminum-containing layer on a substrate in a chamber by atomic layer deposition. The depositing further includes contacting the substrate with an aluminum-containing precursor in a first pulse having a first peak pulse flow rate and a first pulse width; contacting the substrate with a nitrogen-containing precursor; contacting the substrate with the aluminum-containing precursor in a second pulse having a second peak pulse flow rate and a second pulse width; and contacting the substrate with the nitrogen-containing precursor. The first peak pulse flow rate is greater than the second peak pulse flow rate. The first pulse width is smaller than the second pulse width.

Abstract: Aluminum-containing layers and systems and methods for forming the same are provided. In an embodiment, a method includes depositing an aluminum-containing layer on a substrate in a chamber by atomic layer deposition. The depositing further includes contacting the substrate with an aluminum-containing precursor in a first pulse having a first peak pulse flow rate and a first pulse width; contacting the substrate with a nitrogen-containing precursor; contacting the substrate with the aluminum-containing precursor in a second pulse having a second peak pulse flow rate and a second pulse width; and contacting the substrate with the nitrogen-containing precursor. The first peak pulse flow rate is greater than the second peak pulse flow rate. The first pulse width is smaller than the second pulse width.