Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a plurality of semiconductor layers vertically separated from one another, a gate structure that comprises a lower portion and an upper portion, a gate spacer that extends along a sidewall of the upper portion of the gate structure and has a bottom surface, and an etch stop layer extends between the portion of the bottom surface of the gate spacer and the top surface of the topmost semiconductor layer.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a semiconductor structure includes forming a recess in an active channel structure by removing a portion thereof, filling the recess with a dielectric material, forming a cladding layer adjacent the active channel structure but not adjacent the dielectric material, and forming a gate structure comprising a first gate structure and a second gate structure around the active channel structure. A width of the dielectric material in the recess is greater than a width of the first gate structure and a width of the second gate structure.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method of forming N-type and P-type source/drain features using one patterned mask and one self-aligned mask to increase windows of error tolerance and provide flexibilities for source/drain features of various shapes and/or volumes. The present disclosure also includes forming a trench between neighboring source/drain features to remove bridging between the neighboring source/drain features. In some embodiments, the trenches between the source/drain features are formed by etching from the backside of the substrate.

Abstract: Self-aligned gate cutting techniques are disclosed herein that provide dielectric gate isolation fins for isolating gates of multigate devices from one another. An exemplary device includes a first multigate device having first source/drain features and a first metal gate that surrounds a first channel layer and a second multigate device having second source/drain features and a second metal gate that surrounds a second channel layer. A dielectric gate isolation fin separates the first metal gate from the second metal gate. The dielectric gate isolation fin includes a first dielectric layer having a first dielectric constant and a second dielectric layer having a second dielectric constant disposed over the first dielectric layer. The second dielectric constant is greater than the first dielectric constant. The first metal gate and the second metal gate physically contact the first channel layer and the second channel layer, respectively, and the dielectric gate isolation fin.

Abstract: A device includes: a substrate having a semiconductor fin; a stack of semiconductor channels on the substrate and positioned over the fin; a gate structure wrapping around the semiconductor channels; a source/drain abutting the semiconductor channels; an inner spacer positioned between the stack of semiconductor channels and the fin; an undoped semiconductor layer vertically adjacent the source/drain and laterally adjacent the fin; and an isolation structure that laterally surrounds the undoped semiconductor layer, the isolation structure being between the source/drain and the inner spacer.

Abstract: Semiconductor structures and methods of forming the same are provided. In an embodiment, an exemplary semiconductor structure includes a first transistor. The first transistor includes a first gate structure wrapping around a plurality of first nanostructures disposed over a substrate, a first source/drain feature electrically coupled to a topmost nanostructure of the plurality of first nanostructures and isolated from a bottommost nanostructure of the plurality of first nanostructures by a first dielectric layer, and a first semiconductor layer disposed between the substrate and the first source/drain feature, wherein the first source/drain feature is in direct contact with a top surface of the first semiconductor layer.

Abstract: A method of forming a semiconductor device includes: forming a fin protruding above a substrate; forming isolation regions on opposing sides of the fin; forming a dummy gate over the fin; reducing a thickness of a lower portion of the dummy gate proximate to the isolation regions, where after reducing the thickness, a distance between opposing sidewalls of the lower portion of the dummy gate decreases as the dummy gate extends toward the isolation regions; after reducing the thickness, forming a gate fill material along at least the opposing sidewalls of the lower portion of the dummy gate; forming gate spacers along sidewalls of the dummy gate and along sidewalls of the gate fill material; and replacing the dummy gate with a metal gate.

Abstract: A device includes: a substrate; a stack of semiconductor channels on the substrate; a gate structure wrapping around the semiconductor channels; a source/drain region abutting the semiconductor channels; and a hybrid structure between the source/drain region and the substrate. The hybrid structure includes: a first semiconductor layer under the source/drain region; and an isolation region extending vertically from an upper surface of the first semiconductor layer to a level above a bottom surface of the first semiconductor layer.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the present disclosure are directed towards a shared frontside pad/bridge layout for a three-dimensional (3D) integrated circuit (IC), as well as the 3D IC and a method for forming the 3D IC. A second IC die underlies the first IC die, and a third IC die underlies the second IC die. A first-die backside pad, a second-die backside pad, and a third die backside pad are in a row extending in a dimension and overlie the first, second, and third IC dies. Further, the first-die, second-die, and third-die backside pads are electrically coupled respectively to individual semiconductor devices of the first, second, and third IC dies. The second and third IC dies include individual pad/bridge structures at top metal (TM) layers of corresponding interconnect structures. The pad/bridge structures share the shared frontside pad/bridge layout and provide lateral routing in the dimension for the aforementioned electrical coupling.

Abstract: A semiconductor structure includes an isolation structure in a substrate, a metal gate structure over the substrate and a portion of the isolation structure, a spacer at sidewalls of the metal gate structure, epitaxial source/drain structure at two sides of the metal gate structure, and a protection layer over the isolation structure. The protection layer and the spacer include a same material.

Abstract: A device includes an active region, a gate structure, a source/drain epitaxial structure, an epitaxial layer, a metal alloy layer, a contact, and a contact etch stop layer. The gate structure is across the active region. The source/drain epitaxial structure is over the active region and adjacent the gate structure. The epitaxial layer is over the source/drain epitaxial structure. The metal alloy layer is over the epitaxial layer. The contact is over the metal alloy layer. The contact etch stop layer lines sidewalls of the source/drain epitaxial structure. The metal alloy layer is spaced apart from the contact etch stop layer.

Abstract: An optical lens system includes six lens elements from an object side to an image side, the six lens elements are, in order from the object side to the image side, a first lens element, a second lens element, a third lens element, a fourth lens element, a fifth lens element and a sixth lens element. Each of the six lens elements has an object-side surface towards the object side and an image-side surface towards the image side. The image-side surface of the second lens element is concave in a paraxial region thereof. The third lens element has positive refractive power. The image-side surface of the fourth lens element is concave in a paraxial region thereof. The image-side surface of the sixth lens element includes at least one inflection point.

Abstract: A device includes a substrate. A first channel region of a first transistor overlies the substrate and a source/drain region is in contact with the first channel region. The source/drain region is adjacent to the first channel region along a first direction, and the source/drain region has a first surface opposite the substrate and side surfaces extending from the first surface. A dielectric fin structure is adjacent to the source/drain region along a second direction that is transverse to the first direction, and the dielectric fin structure has an upper surface, a lower surface, and an intermediate surface that is disposed between the upper and lower surfaces. A silicide layer is disposed on the first surface and the side surfaces of the source/drain region and on the intermediate surface of the dielectric fin structure.

Abstract: A fabrication method includes: forming, above a substrate, a first electrode having a varying density that increases from a first density level at a bottom surface of the first electrode to a second density level that is higher than the first density level at a top surface of the first electrode; forming a high-K dielectric layer over the first electrode; and forming a second electrode over the HK dielectric layer having a varying density that increases from a third density level at a bottom surface of the second electrode that bonds to the HK dielectric layer to a fourth density level that is higher than the third density level at a top surface of the second electrode.

Abstract: An integrated circuit includes a first nanostructure transistor including a plurality of first semiconductor nanostructures over a substrate and a source/drain region in contact with each of the first semiconductor nanostructures. The integrated circuit includes a second nanostructure transistor including a plurality of second semiconductor nanostructures and a second source/drain region in contact with one or more of the second semiconductor nanostructures but not in contact with one or more other second semiconductor nanostructures.

Abstract: Semiconductor structures and methods for manufacturing the same are provided. The semiconductor structure includes a substrate and a bottom isolation feature formed over the substrate. The semiconductor structure also includes a bottom semiconductor layer formed over the bottom isolation feature and nanostructures formed over the bottom semiconductor layer. The semiconductor structure also includes a source/drain structure attached to the nanostructures and covering a portion of the bottom isolation feature.

Abstract: A method for forming a semiconductor device structure is provided. The semiconductor device structure includes forming a first fin structure and a second fin structure over a substrate. The method includes forming a dummy gate structure over the first fin structure and the second fin structure, and removing a portion of the first fin structure and the second fin structure to form a first source/drain (S/D) recess and a second S/D recess. The method includes forming a first bottom layer in the first S/D recess and a second bottom layer in the second S/D recess, and forming a first dielectric liner layer over the first bottom layer. The method includes forming a first top layer over the first dielectric liner layer, and forming a first S/D structure over the first top layer and a second S/D structure over the second bottom layer.

Abstract: A semiconductor device according to the present disclosure includes a stack of first channel members, a stack of second channel members disposed directly over the stack of first channel members, a bottom source/drain feature in contact with the stack of the first channel members, a separation layer disposed over the bottom source/drain feature, a top source/drain feature in contact with the stack of second channel members and disposed over the separation layer, and a frontside contact that extends through the top source/drain feature and the separation layer to be electrically coupled to the bottom source/drain feature.

Abstract: A method includes forming an epitaxy semiconductor layer over a semiconductor substrate, and etching the epitaxy semiconductor layer and the semiconductor substrate to form a semiconductor strip, which includes an upper portion acting as a mandrel, and a lower portion under the mandrel. The upper portion is a remaining portion of the epitaxy semiconductor layer, and the lower portion is a remaining portion of the semiconductor substrate. The method further includes growing a first semiconductor fin starting from a first sidewall of the mandrel, growing a second semiconductor fin starting from a second sidewall of the mandrel. The first sidewall and the second sidewall are opposite sidewalls of the mandrel. A first transistor is formed based on the first semiconductor fin. A second transistor is formed based on the second semiconductor fin.

Abstract: A semiconductor device including a substrate having a NMOS region and a PMOS region; a metal gate extending continuously along a first direction from the NMOS region to the PMOS region on the substrate; a first source/drain region extending along a second direction adjacent to two sides of the metal gate on the NMOS region; a second source/drain region extending along the second direction adjacent to two sides of the metal gate on the PMOS region; a first contact plug landing on the second source/drain region adjacent to one side of the metal gate; a second contact plug landing on the second source/drain region adjacent to another side of the metal gate; and a third contact plug landing directly on a portion of the metal gate on the PMOS region and between the first contact plug and the second contact plug.