A method of forming a semiconductor structure includes following steps. A first isolation is formed between a pair of active regions. A gate structure is formed on the first isolation structure. The active regions are etched to form recesses with curved top surfaces. The active regions are etched again to change each of the curved top surfaces to be a top surface and a sidewall substantially perpendicular to the top surface. A pair of contacts is formed respectively on the active regions, such that each of the contacts has a bottom surface and a sidewall substantially perpendicular to the bottom surface.

An example IC device includes a frontend layer and a backend layer with a metallization stack. The metallization stack includes a backend memory layer with a plurality of memory cells with backend transistors, and a layer with a plurality of conductive interconnects (e.g., a plurality of conductive lines) and air gaps between adjacent ones of the plurality of interconnects. Providing air gaps in upper metal layers of metallization stacks of IC devices may advantageously reduce parasitic effects in the IC devices because such effects are typically proportional to the dielectric constant of a surrounding medium. In turn, reduction in the parasitic effects may lead to improvements in performance of, or requirements placed on, the backend memory.

A top cap layer covering a first metal line and a second metal line, horizontally between the first metal line and the second metal line is, in sequential order, a post cap liner, an air gap and the post cap liner. A first set of metal lines embedded in an upper surface of a dielectric, a second set of metal lines embedded below the dielectric and above the electronic components, a post cap liner covering the first set of metal lines, a cavity which dissects a first metal line of the first set of metal lines and extends to a second metal line of the second set of metal lines and dissects the second set of metal lines. Forming a cavity in a first metal line embedded in an upper surface of a dielectric, where the first metal line and the dielectric are covered by a top cap layer.

A structure includes a first conductive feature, a first etch stop layer over the first conductive feature, a dielectric layer over the first etch stop layer, and a second conductive feature in the dielectric layer and the first etch stop layer. The second conductive feature is over and contacting the first conductive feature. An air spacer encircles the second conductive feature, and sidewalls of the second conductive feature are exposed to the air spacer. A protection ring further encircles the second conductive feature, and the protection ring fully separates the second conductive feature from the air spacer.

An embodiment of a memory device may comprise a vertical channel, a first memory cell formed on the vertical channel, a first wordline coupled to the first memory cell, a second memory cell formed on the vertical channel immediately above the first memory cell, a second wordline coupled to the second memory cell, and an airgap disposed between the first wordline and the second wordline. Other embodiments are disclosed and claimed.

An interconnection structure includes a first dielectric layer, a first conductive feature, a first liner layer, a second conductive feature, a second liner layer, and an air gap. The first conductive feature is disposed in the first dielectric layer. The first liner layer is disposed between the first conductive feature and the first dielectric layer. The second conductive feature penetrates the first dielectric layer. The second liner layer is disposed between the second conductive feature and the first dielectric layer. The air gap is disposed in the first dielectric layer between the first liner layer and the second liner layer. The first liner layer and the second liner layer include metal oxide, metal nitride, or silicon oxide doped carbide.

A three-dimensional memory device includes a vertical repetition of multiple instances of a unit layer stack, memory openings vertically extending through the vertical repetition, and memory opening fill structures located within the memory openings. Each of the memory opening fill structures contains a respective vertical stack of memory elements. The unit layer stack includes, from bottom to top or from top to bottom, a cavity-free insulating layer that is free of any cavity therein, a first-type electrically conductive layer, a cavity-containing insulating layer including an encapsulated cavity therein, and a second-type electrically conductive layer.

A solid state imaging apparatus includes an insulation structure formed of an insulation substance penetrating through at least a silicon layer at a light receiving surface side, the insulation structure having a forward tapered shape where a top diameter at an upper portion of the light receiving surface side of the silicon layer is greater than a bottom diameter at a bottom portion of the silicon layer. Also, there are provided a method of producing the solid state imaging apparatus and an electronic device including the solid state imaging apparatus.

A method of forming an integrated circuit structure includes forming a first source/drain contact plug over and electrically coupling to a source/drain region of a transistor, forming a first dielectric hard mask overlapping a gate stack, recessing the first source/drain contact plug to form a first recess, forming a second dielectric hard mask in the first recess, recessing an inter-layer dielectric layer to form a second recess, and forming a third dielectric hard mask in the second recess. The third dielectric hard mask contacts both the first dielectric hard mask and the second dielectric hard mask.

A semiconductor structure and a method for forming the same are disclosed. The method includes the steps of forming a first dielectric layer on a substrate, forming a plurality of first interconnecting structures in the first dielectric layer, forming at least a trench in the first dielectric layer and between the first interconnecting structures, performing a sputtering deposition process to form a second dielectric layer on the first dielectric layer, wherein the second dielectric layer at least partially seals an air gap in the trench, and forming a third dielectric layer on the second dielectric layer.