Abstract: A method for fabricating a semiconductor device is provided. The method includes forming an alignment mark in a material layer, wherein the alignment mark has a step sidewall in the material layer, and the step sidewall of the alignment mark has a floor surface portion; forming a feature material over the material layer; and performing a planarization process at least on the feature material, wherein the planarization process stops at a level higher than the floor surface portion of the step sidewall of the alignment mark.

Abstract: A method of depositing a material on one of two, but not both, sidewalls of a raised structure formed on a substrate includes tilting a normal of the substrate away from a source of the deposition material or tilting the source of the deposition material away from the normal of the substrate. The method may be implemented by a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) technique.

Abstract: The present disclosure, in some embodiments, relates to a method of forming an integrated chip. The method includes forming a plurality of gate structures extending in a first direction over a substrate between a plurality of source/drain regions. A lower power rail is formed extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. A first connection pin is formed to be electrically coupled to one of the plurality of source/drain regions and to the lower power rail. The first connection pin is formed according to a cut mask having cut regions that define opposing ends of the first connection pin. An upper power rail is formed directly over the lower power rail and extending in the second direction. The upper power rail is electrically coupled to the first connection pin.

Abstract: In accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure, in a pattern forming method for a semiconductor device, a first opening is formed in an underlying layer disposed over a substrate. The first opening is expanded in a first axis by directional etching to form a first groove in the underlying layer. A resist pattern is formed over the underlying layer. The resist pattern includes a second opening only partially overlapping the first groove. The underlying layer is patterned by using the resist pattern as an etching mask to form a second groove.

Abstract: A method of defining a pattern-includes forming a plurality of cut shapes and a first plurality of openings within a first layer of a multi-layer hard mask to expose first portions of the second layer. A plurality of etch stops is formed by implanting an etch rate modifying species in a portion of the plurality of cut shapes. The first layer is directionally etched at the plurality of cut shapes such that the plurality of etch stops remain. A spacer layer is formed on the first layer and the first portions. A second plurality of openings is formed within the spacer layer to expose second portions of the second layer. The spacer layer is directionally etched to remove the spacer layer from sidewalls of the plurality of etch stops. Portions of the second layer exposed through the first plurality of openings and the second plurality of openings are etched.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a semiconductor device is provided. The method includes obtaining a pattern density of an integrated circuit (IC) design layout; adjusting a density of an alignment mark pattern of the IC design layout according to the pattern density; and patterning a material layer according to the IC design layout after adjusting the density of the alignment mark pattern.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method for semiconductor manufacturing in accordance with some embodiments. The method includes providing a substrate and a patterning layer over the substrate and forming a plurality of openings in the patterning layer. The substrate includes a plurality of features to receive a treatment process. The openings partially overlap with the features from a top view while a portion of the features remains covered by the patterning layer. Each of the openings is free of concave corners. The method further includes performing an opening expanding process to enlarge each of the openings and performing a treatment process to the features through the openings. After the opening expanding process, the openings fully overlap with the features from the top view.

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 of performing a lithography process includes providing a test pattern. The test pattern includes a first set of lines arranged at a first pitch, a second set of lines arranged at the first pitch, and further includes at least one reference line between the first set of lines and the second set of lines. The test pattern is exposed with a radiation source providing an asymmetric, monopole illumination profile to form a test pattern structure on a substrate. The test pattern structure is then measured and a measured distance correlated to an offset of a lithography parameter. A lithography process is adjusted based on the offset of the lithography parameter.

Abstract: Methods are disclosed herein for patterning integrated circuit devices, such as fin-like field effect transistor devices. An exemplary method includes forming a material layer that includes an array of fin features, and performing a fin cut process to remove a subset of the fin features. The fin cut process includes exposing the subset of fin features using a cut pattern and removing the exposed subset of the fin features. The cut pattern partially exposes at least one fin feature of the subset of fin features. In implementations where the fin cut process is a fin cut first process, the material layer is a mandrel layer and the fin features are mandrels. In implementations where the fin cut process is a fin cut last process, the material layer is a substrate (or material layer thereof), and the fin features are fins defined in the substrate (or material layer thereof).

Abstract: A method includes forming a material layer over a substrate, forming a first hard mask (HM) layer over the material layer, forming a first trench, along a first direction, in the first HM layer. The method also includes forming first spacers along sidewalls of the first trench, forming a second trench in the first HM layer parallel to the first trench, by using the first spacers to guard the first trench. The method also includes etching the material layer through the first trench and the second trench, removing the first HM layer and the first spacers, forming a second HM layer over the material layer, forming a third trench in the second HM layer. The third trench extends along a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction and overlaps with the first trench. The method also includes etching the material layer through the third trench.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a first gate structure, a second gate structure, a first source/drain structure and a second source/drain structure. The first gate structure includes a first gate electrode and a first cap insulating layer disposed on the first gate electrode. The second gate structure includes a second gate electrode and a first conductive contact layer disposed on the first gate electrode. The first source/drain structure includes a first source/drain conductive layer and a second cap insulating layer disposed over the first source/drain conductive layer. The second source/drain structure includes a second source/drain conductive layer and a second conductive contact layer disposed over the second source/drain conductive layer.

Abstract: In a method of forming a groove pattern extending in a first axis in an underlying layer over a semiconductor substrate, a first opening is formed in the underlying layer, and the first opening is extended in the first axis by directional etching to form the groove pattern.

Abstract: The present disclosure, in some embodiments, relates to an integrated chip. The integrated chip includes a source region and a drain region separated by a channel region within a substrate. A middle-end-of-the-line (MEOL) structure is over the drain region and a gate structure is over the channel region. The MEOL structure is vertically disposed between the drain region and a plane extending along an upper surface of the gate structure. A first interconnect wire is connected to the MEOL structure by a first conductive contact that is directly over the drain region and that extends between the first interconnect wire and the MEOL structure. A conductive strap is located over the first interconnect wire. The conductive strap connects the first interconnect wire to a power rail having a larger width than the first interconnect wire.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method for semiconductor manufacturing in accordance with some embodiments. The method includes providing a substrate and a patterning layer over the substrate, wherein the substrate includes a plurality of features to receive a treatment process; forming at least one opening in the patterning layer, wherein the plurality of features is partially exposed in the at least one opening; applying a directional etching to expand the at least one opening in a first direction, thereby forming at least one expanded opening; and performing the treatment process to the plurality of features through the at least one expanded opening.

Abstract: A method includes forming a material layer over a substrate, forming a first hard mask (HM) layer over the material layer, forming a first trench, along a first direction, in the first HM layer. The method also includes forming first spacers along sidewalls of the first trench, forming a second trench in the first HM layer parallel to the first trench, by using the first spacers to guard the first trench. The method also includes etching the material layer through the first trench and the second trench, removing the first HM layer and the first spacers, forming a second HM layer over the material layer, forming a third trench in the second HM layer. The third trench extends along a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction and overlaps with the first trench. The method also includes etching the material layer through the third trench.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device including operations of forming a first hard mask over an underlying layer on a substrate by a photolithographic and etching method, forming a sidewall spacer pattern having a first sidewall portion and a second sidewall portion on opposing sides of the first hard mask, etching the first sidewall portion, etching the first hard mask and leaving the second sidewall portion bridging a gap of the etched first hard mask, and processing the underlying layer using the second hard mask.

Abstract: In a method of forming a groove pattern extending in a first axis in an underlying layer over a semiconductor substrate, a first opening is formed in the underlying layer, and the first opening is extended in the first axis by directional etching to form the groove pattern.

Abstract: A method for semiconductor manufacturing includes providing a substrate, forming a patterning layer over the substrate, and patterning the patterning layer to form a hole in the patterning layer. The method also includes applying a first directional etching to two inner sidewalls of the hole to expand the hole along a first direction and applying a second directional etching to another two inner sidewalls of the hole to expand the hole along a second direction that is different from the first direction.

Abstract: A technique for patterning a workpiece such as an integrated circuit workpiece is provided. In an exemplary embodiment, the method includes receiving a dataset specifying a plurality features to be formed on the workpiece. A first patterning of a hard mask of the workpiece is performed based on a first set of features of the plurality of features, and a first spacer material is deposited on a sidewall of the patterned hard mask. A second patterning is performed based on a second set of features, and a second spacer material is deposited on a sidewall of the first spacer material. A third patterning is performed based on a third set of features. A portion of the workpiece is selectively processed using a pattern defined by a remainder of at least one of the patterned hard mask layer, the first spacer material, or the second spacer material.