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 includes forming a first plurality of fins in a first region of a substrate, a first recess being interposed between adjacent fins in the first region of the substrate, the first recess having a first depth and a first width, forming a second plurality of fins in a second region of the substrate, a second recess being interposed between adjacent fins in the second region of the substrate, the second recess having a second depth and a second width, the second width of the second recess being less than the first width of the first recess, the second depth of the second recess being less than the first depth of the first recess, forming a first dielectric layer in the first recess and the second recess, and converting the first dielectric layer in the first recess and the second recess to a treated dielectric layer.

Abstract: A nanoFET transistor includes doped channel junctions at either end of a channel region for one or more nanosheets of the nanoFET transistor. The channel junctions are formed by a iterative recessing and implanting process which is performed as recesses are made for the source/drain regions. The implanted doped channel junctions can be controlled to achieve a desired lateral straggling of the doped channel junctions.

Abstract: To reduce a thickness variation of a spin-on coating (SOC) layer that is applied over a plurality of first and second trenches with different pattern densities as a bottom layer in a photoresist stack, a two-step thermal treatment process is performed on the SOC layer. A first thermal treatment step in the two-step thermal treatment process is conducted at a first temperature below a cross-linking temperature of the SOC layer to cause flow of the SOC layer, and a second thermal treatment step in the two-step thermal treatment process is conducted at a second temperature to cause cross-linking of the SOC layer.

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 semiconductor device includes a field effect transistor (FET). The FET includes a first channel, a first source and a first drain; a second channel, a second source and a second drain; and a gate structure disposed over the first and second channels. The gate structure includes a gate dielectric layer and a gate electrode layer. The first source includes a first crystal semiconductor layer and the second source includes a second crystal semiconductor layer. The first source and the second source are connected by an alloy layer made of one or more Group IV element and one or more transition metal elements. The first crystal semiconductor layer is not in direct contact with the second crystal semiconductor layer.

Abstract: A method includes forming a fin structure over a substrate; depositing a dummy gate layer over the substrate and the fin structure; etching back the dummy gate layer; performing an implantation process to the dummy gate layer to form an implantation region in the dummy gate layer, wherein a vertical thickness of the dummy gate layer is greater than a vertical thickness of the implantation region; forming a patterned hard mask stack over the implantation region; patterning the implantation region and the dummy gate layer by using the patterned hard mask stack as an etch mask to form a dummy gate structure over the fin structure; and replacing the dummy gate structure with a metal gate structure.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device is provided. The method includes forming a semiconductor fin over a semiconductor substrate; forming a gate structure over a first portion of the semiconductor fin; etching a source/drain recess over a second portion of the semiconductor fin; and performing an in-situ source/drain etching and epitaxy process to form a source/drain epitaxial structure in the second portion of the semiconductor fin. The step of performing the in-situ source/drain etching and epitaxy process comprises performing a dry etching process to adjust a profile of the source/drain recess in a chamber; and after adjusting the dry etching process, epitaxially growing the source/drain epitaxial structure in the source/drain recess in the chamber.

Abstract: A method includes forming first devices in a first region of a substrate, wherein each first device has a first number of fins; forming second devices in a second region of the substrate that is different from the first region, wherein each second device has a second number of fins that is different from the first number of fins; forming first recesses in the fins of the first devices, wherein the first recesses have a first depth; after forming the first recesses, forming second recesses in the fins of the second devices, wherein the second recesses have a second depth different from the first depth; growing a first epitaxial source/drain region in the first recesses; and growing a second epitaxial source/drain region in the second recess.

Abstract: A method of fabricating an integrated circuit (IC) is provided. The method includes the following steps: providing a substrate; forming a p-well region in the substrate; forming an n-well region in the substrate; conducting a microwave annealing at a first temperature; conducting, after the microwave annealing, a supplemental annealing at a second temperature higher than the first temperature; and fabricating a plurality of field-effect transistors (FETs) in the p-well region and the n-well region.

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: Disclosed is a method of fabricating a contact in a semiconductor device. The method includes: receiving a semiconductor structure having an opening into which the contact is to be formed; forming a metal layer in the opening; forming a bottom anti-reflective coating (BARC) layer in the opening; performing implanting operations with a dopant on the BARC layer and the metal layer, the performing implanting operations including controlling an implant energy level and controlling an implant dosage level to form a crust layer with a desired minimum depth on top of the BARC layer; removing unwanted metal layer sections using wet etching operations, wherein the crust layer and BARC layer protect remaining metal layer sections under the BARC layer from metal loss during the wet etching operations; removing the crust layer and the BARC layer; and forming the contact in the opening over the remaining metal layer sections.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a field effect transistor disposed over a first main surface of a semiconductor substrate, a distributed Bragg reflector disposed over an opposing second main surface of the semiconductor substrate, and a conductive via disposed in the distributed Bragg reflector. The field effect transistor includes a gate structure and a source/drain region. The conductive via passes through the semiconductor substrate and is in direct electrical contact with the source/drain region. A metal silicide is formed in a portion of the source/drain region that is in contact with the conductive via, and thus can reduce contact resistance between the source/drain region and the conductive via. The source/drain region is laser annealed through an opening formed through the distributed Bragg reflector. The distributed Bragg reflector reduces or prevents thermal damage to other regions of the semiconductor device that are protected by the distributed Bragg reflector.

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 semiconductor device includes a fin extending from a substrate. The fin has a source/drain region and a channel region. The channel region includes a first semiconductor layer and a second semiconductor layer disposed over the first semiconductor layer and vertically separated from the first semiconductor layer by a spacing area. A high-k dielectric layer at least partially wraps around the first semiconductor layer and the second semiconductor layer. A metal layer is formed along opposing sidewalls of the high-k dielectric layer. The metal layer includes a first material. The spacing area is free of the first material.

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: Methods of ion implantation combined with annealing using a pulsed laser or a furnace for cutting substrate in forming semiconductor devices and semiconductor devices including the same are disclosed. In an embodiment, a method includes forming a transistor structure of a device on a first semiconductor substrate; forming a front-side interconnect structure over a front side of the transistor structure; bonding a carrier substrate to the front-side interconnect structure; implanting ions into the first semiconductor substrate to form an implantation region of the first semiconductor substrate; and removing the first semiconductor substrate. Removing the first semiconductor substrate includes applying an annealing process to separate the implantation region from a remainder region of the first semiconductor substrate. The method also includes forming a back-side interconnect structure over a back side of the transistor structure.

Abstract: A semiconductor device comprises a fin structure disposed over a substrate; a gate structure disposed over part of the fin structure; a source/drain structure, which includes part of the fin structure not covered by the gate structure; an interlayer dielectric layer formed over the fin structure, the gate structure, and the source/drain structure; a contact hole formed in the interlayer dielectric layer; and a contact material disposed in the contact hole. The fin structure extends in a first direction and includes an upper layer, wherein a part of the upper layer is exposed from an isolation insulating layer. The gate structure extends in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The contact material includes a silicon phosphide layer and a metal layer.