The present disclosure relates to an integrated chip including a semiconductor device. The semiconductor device includes a first source/drain structure, a second source/drain structure, a stack of channel structures, and a gate structure. The stack of channel structures and the gate structure are between the first and second source/drain structures. The gate structure surrounds the stack of channel structures. A first conductive wire overlies and is spaced from the semiconductor device. The first conductive wire includes a first stack of conductive layers. A first conductive contact extends through a dielectric layer from the first conductive wire to the first source/drain structure. The first conductive contact is on a back-side of the first source/drain structure.

A semiconductor device with different configurations of gate structures and a method of fabricating the same are disclosed. The semiconductor device includes a first gate structure and a second gate structure. The first gate structure includes a first interfacial oxide (IO) layer, a first high-K (HK) dielectric layer disposed on the first interfacial oxide layer, and a first dipole layer disposed at an interface between the first IL layer and the first HK dielectric layer. The HK dielectric layer includes a rare-earth metal dopant or an alkali metal dopant. The second gate structure includes a second IL layer, a second HK dielectric layer disposed on the second IL layer, and a second dipole layer disposed at an interface between the second IL layer and the second HK dielectric layer. The second HK dielectric layer includes a transition metal dopant and the rare-earth metal dopant or the alkali metal dopant.

A method includes forming a gate structure over a substrate; forming a source/drain region adjacent the gate structure; forming a first interlayer dielectric (ILD) over the source/drain region; forming a contact plug extending through the first ILD that electrically contacts the source/drain region; forming a silicide layer on the contact plug; forming a second ILD extending over the first ILD and the silicide layer; etching an opening extending through the second ILD and the silicide layer to expose the contact plug, wherein the silicide layer is used as an etch stop during the etching of the opening; and forming a conductive feature in the opening that electrically contacts the contact plug.

A method of forming a semiconductor device includes: forming a dummy gate structure over a fin structure that protrudes above a substrate, where the fin structure includes a fin and a layer stack over the fin, where the layer stack comprises alternating layers of a first semiconductor material and a second semiconductor material; forming openings in the fin structure on opposing sides of the dummy gate structure, where the openings exposes first portions of the first semiconductor material and second portions of the second semiconductor material; recessing the exposed first portions of the first semiconductor material to form sidewall recesses in the first semiconductor material; lining the sidewall recesses with a first dielectric material; depositing a second dielectric material in the sidewall recesses on the first dielectric material; after depositing the second dielectric material, annealing the second dielectric material; and after the annealing, forming source/drain regions in the openings.

A semiconductor device includes an active area extending in a first direction over a substrate, the active area including at least one conductive path extending from a source region, through a channel region, to a drain region; and a gate dielectric on a surface of the at least one conductive path in the channel region. The semiconductor device also includes an isolating fin at a first side of the active area, the isolating fin having a first fin region having a first fin width adjacent to the source region, a second fin region having a second fin width adjacent to the channel region, and a third fin region having the first fin width adjacent to the drain region; and a gate electrode against the gate dielectric in the channel region.

A semiconductor device with different configurations of contact structures and a method of fabricating the same are disclosed. The method includes forming first and second fin structures on a substrate, forming n- and p-type source/drain (S/D) regions on the first and second fin structures, respectively, forming first and second oxidation stop layers on the n- and p-type S/D regions, respectively, epitaxially growing first and second semiconductor layers on the first and second oxidation stop layers, respectively, converting the first and second semiconductor layers into first and second semiconductor oxide layers, respectively, forming a first silicide-germanide layer on the p-type S/D region, and forming a second silicide-germanide layer on the first silicide-germanide layer and on the n-type S/D region.

A semiconductor device includes a first semiconductor well. The semiconductor device includes a channel structure disposed above the first semiconductor well and extending along a first lateral direction. The semiconductor device includes a gate structure extending along a second lateral direction and straddling the channel structure. The semiconductor device includes a first epitaxial structure disposed on a first side of the channel structure. The semiconductor device includes a second epitaxial structure disposed on a second side of the channel structure, the first side and second side opposite to each other in the first lateral direction. The first epitaxial structure is electrically coupled to the first semiconductor well with a second semiconductor well in the first semiconductor well, and the second epitaxial structure is electrically isolated from the first semiconductor well with a dielectric layer.

Integrated circuit (IC) chips are provided. An IC chip according to the present corner area between an outer corner of the device region and an inner corner of the ring region. The ring region includes a first active region extending along a first direction, a first source/drain contact disposed partially over the first active region and extending along the first direction, and first gate structures disposed completely over the first active region and each extending lengthwise along the first direction. The corner area includes a second active region extending along a second direction that forms an acute angle with the first direction, a second source/drain contact disposed partially over the second active region and extending along the second direction, and second gate structures disposed over the second active region and each extending along the first direction.

A method of manufacturing an integrated circuit device including a self-aligned air spacer including the operations of forming a dummy gate, forming a sidewall on the dummy gate, forming a dummy layer on the sidewall, constructing a gate structure within an opening defined by the sidewall, removing at least a portion of the first dummy layer to form a first recess between the sidewall layer and the dummy gate, and capping the first recess to form a first air spacer.

A method includes depositing a multi-layer stack over a semiconductor substrate, the multi-layer stack including a plurality of sacrificial layers that alternate with a plurality of channel layers; forming a first recess in the multi-layer stack; forming first spacers on sidewalls of the sacrificial layers in the first recess; depositing a first semiconductor material in the first recess, where the first semiconductor material is undoped, where the first semiconductor material is in physical contact with a sidewall and a bottom surface of at least one of the first spacers; implanting dopants in the first semiconductor material, where after implanting dopants the first semiconductor material has a gradient-doped profile; and forming an epitaxial source/drain region in the first recess over the first semiconductor material, where a material of the epitaxial source/drain region is different from the first semiconductor material.