Methods for filling gaps with dielectric material involve deposition using an atomic layer deposition (ALD) technique to fill a gap followed by deposition of a cap layer on the filled gap by a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) technique. The ALD deposition may be a plasma-enhanced ALD (PEALD) or thermal ALD (tALD) deposition. The CVD deposition may be plasma-enhanced CVD (PECVD) or thermal CVD (tCVD) deposition. In some embodiments, the CVD deposition is performed in the same chamber as the ALD deposition without intervening process operations. This in-situ deposition of the cap layer results in a high throughput process with high uniformity. After the process, the wafer is ready for chemical-mechanical planarization (CMP) in some embodiments.

A first gate and a second gate are formed on a substrate with a gap between the first and second gates. The first gate has a first sidewall. The second gate has a second sidewall directly facing the first sidewall. A first sidewall spacer is disposed on the first sidewall. A second sidewall spacer is disposed on the second sidewall. A contact etch stop layer is deposited on the first and second gates and on the first and second sidewall spacers. The contact etch stop layer is subjected to a tilt-angle plasma etching process to trim a corner portion of the contact etch stop layer. An inter-layer dielectric layer is then deposited on the contact etch stop layer and into the gap.

The present disclosure relates to a method for preparing a semiconductor device with air gaps between conductive lines (e.g., bit lines). The method includes forming a first dielectric structure and a second dielectric structure over a semiconductor substrate, and forming a conductive material over the first dielectric structure and the second dielectric structure. The conductive material extends into a first opening between the first dielectric structure and the second dielectric structure. The method also includes partially removing the conductive material to form a first bit line and a second bit line in the first opening and forming a sealing dielectric layer over the first bit line and the second bit line such that an air gap is formed between the sealing dielectric layer and the semiconductor substrate.

A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate including a first region and a second region, first metal lines spaced apart from each other at a first interval on the first region, second metal lines spaced apart from each other at a second interval on the second region, the second interval being less than the first interval, and a passivation layer on the semiconductor substrate and covering the first and second metal lines, the passivation layer including sidewall parts covering sidewalls of the first metal lines and the second metal lines, the sidewall parts including a porous dielectric layer, upper parts covering top surfaces of the first metal lines and the second metal lines, and an air gap defined by the sidewall parts between the second metal lines.

Embodiments disclosed herein describe semiconductor devices that include semiconductor structures and methods of forming the semiconductor structures. The semiconductor structures may include an upper conductive line, a first lower conductive line laterally insulated by a first lower dielectric region and a second lower dielectric region. The semiconductor structure also includes a lower level via region above the first lower conductive line. The lower level via region includes a dielectric blocking material and a spacer material.

A method for etching a metal containing feature is provided. Using a pattern mask, layers of material are etched to expose a portion of a metal containing feature. At least a portion of the exposed metal containing feature is etched, and is replaced by the growth of a filler dielectric. The etched portion of the metal containing feature and the filler dielectric reduce the unwanted conductivity between adjacent metal containing features.

The present disclosure provides a method of forming an interconnect structure. The method includes forming a metal layer over a substrate, the metal layer including a first metal; forming a capping layer on the metal layer; patterning the capping layer and the metal layer, thereby forming trenches in the metal layer; depositing a first dielectric layer in the trenches; removing the capping layer, resulting in the first dielectric layer protruding from a top surface of the metal layer; depositing a second dielectric layer over the first dielectric layer and the metal layer; forming an opening in the second dielectric layer, thereby partially exposing the top surface of the metal layer; and forming a conductive feature in the opening and in electrical coupling with the metal layer, the conductive feature including a second metal.

A semiconductor device with densified dielectric structures and a method of fabricating the same are disclosed. The method includes forming a fin structure, forming an isolation structure adjacent to the fin structure, forming a source/drain (S/D) region on the fin structure, depositing a flowable dielectric layer on the isolation structure, converting the flowable dielectric layer into a non-flowable dielectric layer, performing a densification process on the non-flowable dielectric layer, and repeating the depositing, converting, and performing to form a stack of densified dielectric layers surrounding the S/D region.

A semiconductor structure with an improved metal structure is described. The semiconductor structure can include a substrate having an upper surface, an interconnect layer over the upper surface, and an additional structure deposited over the interconnect layer. The interconnect layer can include a patterned seed layer over the substrate, at least two metal lines over the seed layer, and a dielectric material between adjacent metal lines. A barrier layer can be deposited over the at least two metal lines. Methods of making the semiconductor structures are also described.

A method for forming a semiconductor device structure is provided. The semiconductor device includes forming nanowire structures stacked over a substrate and spaced apart from one another, and forming a dielectric material surrounding the nanowire structures. The dielectric material has a first nitrogen concentration. The method also includes treating the dielectric material to form a treated portion. The treated portion of the dielectric material has a second nitrogen concentration that is greater than the first nitrogen concentration. The method also includes removing the treating portion of the dielectric material, thereby remaining an untreated portion of the dielectric material as inner spacer layers; and forming the gate stack surrounding nanowire structures and between the inner spacer layers.