This disclosure relates to a cleaning composition that contains 1) hydroxylamine; 2) a chelating agent; 3) an alkylene glycol; 4) water. This disclosure also relates to a method of using the above composition for cleaning a semiconductor substrate.

Methods are presented for forming multi-threshold field effect transistors. The methods generally include depositing and patterning an organic planarizing layer to protect underlying structures formed in a selected one of the nFET region and the pFET region of a semiconductor wafer. In the other one of the nFET region and the pFET region, structures are processed to form an undercut in the organic planarizing layer. The organic planarizing layer is subjected to a reflow process to fill the undercut. The methods are effective to protect a boundary between the nFET region and the pFET region.

A chemical solution, which demonstrates excellent etching performance for transition metal-containing substances and has excellent defect inhibition performance, a method for manufacturing the chemical solution, and a method for treating a substrate. The chemical solution according to an embodiment includes one or more kinds of periodic acids selected from the group consisting of a periodic acid and a salt thereof, one or more kinds of first metal components selected from the group consisting of Ti and Zr, and water. In a case where the chemical solution includes one kind of first metal component, a content of the one kind of first metal component is 1 ppt by mass to 100 ppm by mass with respect to a total mass of the periodic acids. In a case where the chemical solution includes two kinds of first metal components, a content of both the two kinds of first metal components is equal to or smaller than 100 ppm by mass with respect to the total mass of the periodic acids, and a content of at least one of the two kinds of first metal components is equal to or greater than 1 ppt by mass with respect to the total mass of the periodic acids.

Increasing in a contact-resistance between a trench gate lead-out electrode and a gate lead-out contact member is suppressed. It is assumed that a natural oxidation film is formed in the polysilicon film when the trench gate lead-out electrode is formed. In case of the natural oxidation film is formed, a desired etching process is performed so that the natural oxidation film does not protrude beyond the upper surface of the trench gate lead-out electrode.

A method for fabricating a semiconductor device includes the steps of: forming a fin-shaped structure on a substrate, forming a gate material layer on the fin-shaped structure, performing an etching process to pattern the gate material layer for forming a gate structure and a silicon residue, performing an ashing process on the silicon residue, and then performing a cleaning process to transform the silicon residue into a polymer stop layer on a top surface and sidewalls of the fin-shaped structure.

A method includes forming an opening in a dielectric to reveal a protruding semiconductor fin, forming a gate dielectric on sidewalls and a top surface of the protruding semiconductor fin, and forming a conductive diffusion barrier layer over the gate dielectric. The conductive diffusion barrier layer extends into the opening. The method further includes forming a silicon layer over the conductive diffusion barrier layer and extending into the opening, and performing a dry etch on the silicon layer to remove horizontal portions and vertical portions of the silicon layer. After the dry etch, a conductive layer is formed over the conductive diffusion barrier layer and extending into the opening.

A method of cleaning a surface of a substrate uses alcohol and water treatments. The method may include applying an alcohol treatment on a surface of the substrate with the alcohol treatment configured to provide surface reduction and applying a water treatment to the surface of the substrate with the water treatment configured to enhance selectivity of at least a portion of the surface for a subsequent barrier layer process by removing alcohol from the at least a portion of the surface. The water treatment may be performed simultaneously with the alcohol treatment or performed after the alcohol treatment. The water treatment may include vaporized water or water injected into a plasma to produce hydrogen or oxygen radicals.

This disclosure relates to a cleaning composition that contains 1) hydroxylamine; 2) alkanolamine; 3) an alkylene glycol; 4) water. This disclosure also relates to a method of using the above composition for cleaning a semiconductor substrate.

A method includes forming an opening in a dielectric to reveal a protruding semiconductor fin, forming a gate dielectric on sidewalls and a top surface of the protruding semiconductor fin, and forming a conductive diffusion barrier layer over the gate dielectric. The conductive diffusion barrier layer extends into the opening. The method further includes forming a silicon layer over the conductive diffusion barrier layer and extending into the opening, and performing a dry etch on the silicon layer to remove horizontal portions and vertical portions of the silicon layer. After the dry etch, a conductive layer is formed over the conductive diffusion barrier layer and extending into the opening.

Disclosed are apparatuses and methods for performing atomic layer etching. A method may include supporting and thermally floating a substrate in a processing chamber, modifying one or more surface layers of material on the substrate by chemical adsorption, without using a plasma, while the substrate is maintained at a first temperature, and removing the one or more modified surface layers by desorption, without using a plasma, while the substrate is maintained at a second temperature, the first temperature being different than the second temperature. An apparatus may include a processing chamber and support features configured to support and thermally float a substrate in the chamber, a process gas unit configured to flow a first process gas onto the substrate, a substrate heating unit configured to heat the substrate, and a substrate cooling unit configured to actively cool the substrate.