Gate aligned contacts and methods of forming gate aligned contacts are described. For example, a method of fabricating a semiconductor structure includes forming a plurality of gate structures above an active region formed above a substrate. The gate structures each include a gate dielectric layer, a gate electrode, and sidewall spacers. A plurality of contact plugs is formed, each contact plug formed directly between the sidewall spacers of two adjacent gate structures of the plurality of gate structures. A plurality of contacts is formed, each contact formed directly between the sidewall spacers of two adjacent gate structures of the plurality of gate structures. The plurality of contacts and the plurality of gate structures are formed subsequent to forming the plurality of contact plugs.

Processing methods described herein comprise forming a metal gate film on a narrow feature and a wide feature and depositing a hard mask on the metal gate film. The hard mask forms on the metal gate film at a top, bottom and sidewalls of the wide feature and on a top of the narrow feature to cover the metal gate film. Some processing methods comprise oxidizing the metal gate film on the narrow feature to convert a portion of the metal gate film to a metal oxide film. Some processing methods comprise etching the metal oxide film from the narrow feature to leave a gradient etch profile. Some processing methods comprise filling the narrow feature and the wide feature with a gap fill material comprising one or more of a metal nitride, titanium nitride (TiN) or titanium oxynitride (TiON), the gap fill material substantially free of seams and voids.

A display device and method of fabricating the same are provided. The display device includes a substrate and a thin-film transistor formed on the substrate. The thin-film transistor includes a lower gate conductive layer disposed on the substrate, and a lower gate insulating film disposed on the lower gate conductive layer The lower gate insulating film includes an upper surface and sidewalls. The thin-film transistor includes an active layer disposed on the upper surface of the lower gate insulating film, the active layer including sidewalls. At least one of the sidewalls of the lower gate insulating film and at least one of the sidewalls of the active layer are aligned with each other.

A method of fabricating semiconductor-superconductor nanowires, comprising: forming a first mask amorphous mask having first openings over trenches in a substrate; forming a monocrystalline conducting material in the first openings by selective area growth, thus forming gates for the nanowires in the trenches pf the substrate; forming a second mask over the substrate and gates, the second mask also being amorphous and having a pattern of second openings; forming an insulating crystalline buffer in the second openings; forming a crystalline semiconductor material on the buffer in the second openings by selective area growth in order to form the cores of the nanowires, wherein the gates intersect with the cores in the plane of the substrate; and forming the coating of superconductor material over at least part of each of the cores.

A semiconductor device is provided. The semiconductor includes a plurality of interlayer insulating layers and a plurality of gate electrodes alternately stacked in a first direction on a substrate. The plurality of interlayer insulating layers and the plurality of gate electrodes constitute a side surface extended in the first direction. A gate dielectric layer is disposed on the side surface. A channel pattern is disposed on the gate dielectric layer. The gate dielectric layer includes a protective pattern, a charge trap layer, and a tunneling layer. The protective pattern includes a portion disposed on a corresponding gate electrode of the plurality of gate electrodes. The charge trap layer is disposed on the protective pattern. The tunneling layer is disposed between the charge trap layer and the channel pattern. The protective pattern is denser than the charge trap layer.

This semiconductor device is provided with: a semiconductor film that comprises an oxide semiconductor, and includes a channel region; a first inorganic insulating film formed on the semiconductor film; a first organic insulating film formed on the first inorganic insulating film; and an inorganic film group. The inorganic film group has: a first electrode comprising an inorganic conductive film formed on the first organic insulating film; a second inorganic insulating film formed on the first electrode; and a second electrode that comprises an inorganic conductive film formed on the second inorganic insulating film, and is electrically connected to the semiconductor film via openings formed in such a manner as to penetrate the first inorganic insulating film, the first organic insulating film, the first electrode and the second inorganic insulating film. The first organic insulating film is disposed between the first inorganic insulating film and the inorganic film group.

An integrated circuit (IC) device includes a first-fin-type active region, a second-fin-type active region, and an inter-region stepped portion. The first-fin-type active region protrudes from a substrate in a first region of the substrate and has a first width in a first direction. The second-fin-type active region protrudes from the substrate in a second region of the substrate and has a second width in the first direction. The second width is less than the first width. The inter-region stepped portion is formed at an interface between the first region and the second region on a bottom surface, which is a portion of the substrate between the first-fin-type active region and the second-fin-type active region.

Transistor devices and fabrication methods are provided. A transistor is formed by forming a dummy gate film on a substrate and doping an upper portion of the dummy gate film to form a modified film. The modified film and the remaining dummy gate film are etched to form a modified layer and a dummy gate layer on the substrate. Source/drain regions are formed in the substrate and on both sides of the dummy gate layer. A dielectric film is formed on each of the substrate, the source/drain regions, and the dummy gate layer. The dielectric film and the modified layer are planarized to provide a dielectric layer, and to remove the modified layer and expose the dummy gate layer. The dielectric film has a planarization rate lower than the modified layer, and the formed dielectric layer has a surface higher than the exposed dummy gate layer.

A method of fabricating a semiconductor device includes etching a stack of first-material layers and second-material layers alternately disposed one on another on a substrate. An upper portion of the stack is etched using an end point detection (EPD) signal of an etching reaction gas, and a function of an injection time of an etchant with respect to a depth of an opening is obtained while the upper portion of the stack is etched. A lower portion of the stack is etched using the obtained function.

A method of production of a field-effect transistor from a stack of layers forming a semiconductor-on-insulator type substrate, the stack including a superficial layer of an initial thickness, made of a crystalline semiconductor material and covered with a protective layer, the method including: defining, by photolithography, a gate pattern in the protective layer; etching the gate pattern into the superficial layer to leave a thickness of the layer of semiconductor material in place, the thickness defining a height of a conduction channel of the field-effect transistor; forming a gate in the gate pattern; forming, in the superficial layer and on either side of the gate, source and drain zones, while preserving, in the zones, the initial thickness of the superficial layer.