Abstract: One method includes forming a raised isolation structure with a recess above a substrate, forming a gate structure above the fin, forming a plurality of spaced-apart buried fin contact structures within the recess and forming a stress-inducing material layer above the buried fin contact structures. One device includes a plurality of spaced-apart buried fin contact structures positioned within a recess in a raised isolation structure on opposite sides of a gate structure, a stress-inducing material layer formed above the buried fin contact structures and a source/drain contact that extends through the stress-inducing material layer.

Abstract: A method includes forming a raised isolation structure with a recess above a substrate, forming a gate structure above the fin, forming a plurality of spaced-apart buried fin contact structures within the recess that have an outer perimeter surface that contacts at least a portion of an interior perimeter surface of the recess and forming at least one source/drain contact structure for each of the buried fin contact structures. One device includes a plurality of spaced-apart buried fin contact structures positioned within a recess in a raised isolation structure on opposite sides of a gate structure. The upper surface of each of the buried fin contact structures is positioned below an upper surface of the raised isolation structure and an outer perimeter surface of each of the buried fin contact structures contacts at least a portion of an interior perimeter surface of the recess.

Abstract: In one example, the method includes performing at least one process operation to form a first plurality of active fins and at least one sacrificial fin in a first area of a substrate while forming only a second plurality of active fins in a second area of said substrate, forming a fin removal masking layer that covers all of the active fins in both said first and second areas and exposes said at least one sacrificial fin in the first area, with the fin removal masking layer in position, performing at least one etching process to remove the at least one sacrificial fin in the first area and removing the fin removal masking layer.

Abstract: Methods for fabricating integrated circuits and for forming masks for fabricating integrated circuits are provided. An exemplary method for fabricating an integrated circuit includes providing a patternable structure having first and second regions and including upper and lower mandrel layers. The method etches upper mandrels from the upper mandrel layer in the first and second regions. The method includes forming first upper spacer structures having a first width adjacent upper mandrels in the first region and forming second upper spacer structures having a second width not equal to the first width adjacent upper mandrels in the second region. The method etches the lower mandrel layer using the first and second upper spacer structures as an etch mask to form lower mandrels. Further, the method includes forming spacers adjacent the lower mandrels and etching a material using the spacers as an etch mask to form variably spaced features.

Abstract: Various methods of forming a vertical static random access memory cell and the resulting devices are disclosed. One method includes forming a plurality of pillars of semiconductor material on a substrate, forming first source/drain regions on a lower portion of each of the pillars, forming a gate electrode around each of the pillars above the first source/drain region, forming a second source/drain region on a top portion of each of the pillars above the gate electrode, wherein the first and second source/drain regions and the gate electrode on each pillar defines a vertical transistor, and interconnecting the vertical transistors to define a static random access memory cell.

Abstract: In one aspect a semiconductor device as set forth herein can include a spacer having a first section of a first material and a second section of a second material, the second section disposed above a certain elevation and the first section disposed below the certain elevation. In one aspect a semiconductor device as set forth herein can include a conductive gate structure having a first length at elevations below a certain elevation and a second length at elevations above the certain elevation, the second length being less than the first length. A semiconductor device having one or more of a plural material spacer or a reduced length upper elevation conductive gate structure can feature a reduced likelihood of electrical shorting.

Abstract: Methods for fabricating integrated circuits and for forming masks for fabricating integrated circuits are provided. In an embodiment, a method for fabricating an integrated circuit includes etching an upper mandrel layer to form upper mandrels. At least one upper mandrel has a first critical dimension and at least one upper mandrel has a second critical dimension not equal to the first critical dimension. The method further includes forming upper spacers adjacent the upper mandrels and etching a lower mandrel layer using the upper spacers as an etch mask to form lower mandrels. The method also includes forming lower spacers adjacent the lower mandrels and etching a material using the lower spacers as an etch mask to form variably spaced structures.

Abstract: One method disclosed includes, among other things, forming a plurality of laterally spaced-apart source/drain trenches and a gate trench in a layer of material above an active region, performing at least one process operation through the spaced-apart source/drain trenches to form doped source/drain regions, forming a gate structure within the gate trench, and forming a gate cap layer above the gate structure positioned within the gate trench.

Abstract: In one example, the method includes performing at least one process operation to form a first plurality of active fins and at least one sacrificial fin in a first area of a substrate while forming only a second plurality of active fins in a second area of said substrate, forming a fin removal masking layer that covers all of the active fins in both said first and second areas and exposes said at least one sacrificial fin in the first area, with the fin removal masking layer in position, performing at least one etching process to remove the at least one sacrificial fin in the first area and removing the fin removal masking layer.

Abstract: A method includes forming a raised isolation structure with a recess above a substrate, forming a gate structure above the fin, forming a plurality of spaced-apart buried fin contact structures within the recess that have an outer perimeter surface that contacts at least a portion of an interior perimeter surface of the recess and forming at least one source/drain contact structure for each of the buried fin contact structures. One device includes a plurality of spaced-apart buried fin contact structures positioned within a recess in a raised isolation structure on opposite sides of a gate structure. The upper surface of each of the buried fin contact structures is positioned below an upper surface of the raised isolation structure and an outer perimeter surface of each of the buried fin contact structures contacts at least a portion of an interior perimeter surface of the recess.

Abstract: One method disclosed includes, among other things, forming a plurality of laterally spaced-apart source/drain trenches and a gate trench in a layer of material above an active region, performing at least one process operation through the spaced-apart source/drain trenches to form doped source/drain regions, forming a gate structure within the gate trench, and forming a gate cap layer above the gate structure positioned within the gate trench.

Abstract: One illustrative device disclosed herein includes, among other things, an active region defined in a semiconductor substrate, a layer of material positioned above the substrate, a plurality of laterally spaced-apart source/drain trenches formed in the layer of material above the active region, a conductive source/drain contact structure formed within each of the source/drain trenches, a gate trench formed at least partially in the layer of material between the spaced-apart source/drain trenches in the layer of material, wherein portions of the layer of material remain positioned between the source/drain trenches and the gate trench, a gate structure positioned within the gate trench, and a gate cap layer positioned above the gate structure.

Abstract: A method includes forming a layer of insulating material above first and second transistors, within the layer of insulating material, forming a set of initial device-level contacts for each of the first and second transistors, wherein each set of initial device-level contacts comprises a plurality of source/drain contacts and a gate contact, forming an initial local interconnect structure that is conductively coupled to one of the initial device-level contacts in each of the first and second transistors, and removing the initial local interconnect structure and portions, but not all, of the initial device-level contacts for each the first and second transistors. The method also includes forming a copper local interconnect structure and copper caps above the recessed device-level contacts.

Abstract: Methods for fabricating integrated circuits are provided. In an embodiment, a method for fabricating an integrated circuit includes forming fin structures in a selected area of a semiconductor substrate. The method includes covering the fin structures and the semiconductor substrate with a mask and forming a trench in the mask to define no more than two exposed fin structures in the selected area. Further, the method includes removing the exposed fin structures to provide the selected area with a desired number of fin structures.

Abstract: Methods for fabricating integrated circuits and for forming masks for fabricating integrated circuits are provided. In an embodiment, a method for fabricating an integrated circuit includes etching an upper mandrel layer to form upper mandrels. At least one upper mandrel has a first critical dimension and at least one upper mandrel has a second critical dimension not equal to the first critical dimension. The method further includes forming upper spacers adjacent the upper mandrels and etching a lower mandrel layer using the upper spacers as an etch mask to form lower mandrels. The method also includes forming lower spacers adjacent the lower mandrels and etching a material using the lower spacers as an etch mask to form variably spaced structures.

Abstract: An integrated circuit containing finFETs may be formed with fins extending above isolation oxide. A first finFET and a second finFET have exposed fin heights which are different by at least 25 percent. The exposed fin height is a vertical height of a sidewall of the fin above the isolation oxide. Gates are formed over the fins. In one version, a fin height of the first finFET is less than a fin height of the second finFET; a thickness of the isolation oxide adjacent to fins of the first finFET and the second finFET is substantially uniform. The fin height is the height of a top of the fin above the substrate. In another version, the isolation oxide is thinner at the first finFET than at the second finFET; the fin heights of the first finFET and the second finFET are substantially equal.

Abstract: An integrated circuit containing linear structures on regular pitch distances may be formed by forming linear mandrels over a layer of material for the linear structures, with mandrel pitch distances that are twice the desired linear structures' pitch distances. Mandrels for a first plurality of linear structures are shortened. A layer of spacer material is conformally formed over the mandrels and anisotropically etched back to form spacers on lateral surfaces of the mandrels. Spacers on the shortened mandrels are narrower than spacers on the unshortened mandrels as a result of the anisotropic etchback. The mandrels are removed, leaving the spacers in place to form a spacer-based etch mask for the linear structures. The layer of material for the linear structures is etched using the spacer-based etch mask to form the linear structures. The linear structures from the shortened mandrels have lower widths than the linear structures from the unshortened mandrels.

Abstract: One method includes forming a raised isolation structure with a recess above a substrate, forming a gate structure above the fin, forming a plurality of spaced-apart buried fin contact structures within the recess and forming a stress-inducing material layer above the buried fin contact structures. One device includes a plurality of spaced-apart buried fin contact structures positioned within a recess in a raised isolation structure on opposite sides of a gate structure, a stress-inducing material layer formed above the buried fin contact structures and a source/drain contact that extends through the stress-inducing material layer.

Abstract: A method includes forming a raised isolation structure with a recess above a substrate, forming a gate structure above the fin, forming a plurality of spaced-apart buried fin contact structures within the recess that have an outer perimeter surface that contacts at least a portion of an interior perimeter surface of the recess and forming at least one source/drain contact structure for each of the buried fin contact structures. One device includes a plurality of spaced-apart buried fin contact structures positioned within a recess in a raised isolation structure on opposite sides of a gate structure. The upper surface of each of the buried fin contact structures is positioned below an upper surface of the raised isolation structure and an outer perimeter surface of each of the buried fin contact structures contacts at least a portion of an interior perimeter surface of the recess.

Abstract: Methods of forming integrated circuits and multiple CD SADP processes are provided that include providing a patternable structure including a first hard mask layer and a first patternable layer underlying the first hard mask layer. Mandrels are provided over the first hard mask layer. Sidewall spacers are formed adjacent sidewalls of the mandrels. The mandrels are removed, with the sidewall spacers remaining and defining gaps therebetween. The first hard mask layer is etched through the gaps to form a first patterned hard mask feature and a second patterned hard mask feature. A critical dimension of the first patterned hard mask feature is selectively modified to form a biased hard mask feature. A space is defined between sidewalls of the biased hard mask feature and the second patterned hard mask feature. The first patternable layer is etched through exposed material in the space.