The current disclosure describes techniques of protecting a metal interconnect structure from being damaged by subsequent chemical mechanical polishing processes used for forming other metal structures over the metal interconnect structure. The metal interconnect structure is receded to form a recess between the metal interconnect structure and the surrounding dielectric layer. A metal cap structure is formed within the recess. An upper portion of the dielectric layer is strained to include a tensile stress which expands the dielectric layer against the metal cap structure to reduce or eliminate a gap in the interface between the metal cap structure and the dielectric layer.

The present disclosure is a composition for a semiconductor process applied to a polishing process of a semiconductor wafer and, more specifically, to a semiconductor process involving a polishing process of a semiconductor wafer, wherein the composition includes abrasive particles, and the zeta potential of the abrasive particles is −50 mV to −10 mV at a pH of 6, and the zeta potential change rate represented by Equation 1 below is 6 mV to 30 mV: [Equation 1] Zeta potential change rate (mV/pH)=|(Z6−Z5)/(p6−p5)| where p6 denotes pH 6, p5 denotes pH 5, Z6 denotes a zeta potential at the pH 6, and Z5 denotes a zeta potential at the pH 5.

A superstrate for planarizing a substrate. The superstrate includes a body having a first side having a contact surface and a second side having a central portion and a peripheral portion surrounding the central portion. The peripheral portion includes a recessed region.

An integrated circuit structure comprises a first and second conductive structures formed in an interlayer dielectric (ILD) of a metallization stack over a substrate. The first conductive structure comprises a first conductive line, and first dummy structures located adjacent to one or more sides of the first conductive line, wherein the first dummy structures comprise respective arrays of dielectric core segments having a Young's modulus larger than the Young's modulus of the ILD, the dielectric core segments being approximately 1-3 microns in width and spaced apart by approximately 1-3 microns. The second conductive structure formed in the ILD comprises a conductive surface and second dummy structures formed in the conductive surface, where the second dummy structures comprising an array of conductive pillars.

A cavity may be formed in a dielectric material layer overlying a substrate. A layer stack including a metallic barrier liner, a metallic fill material layer, and a metallic capping material may be deposited in the cavity and over the dielectric material layer. Portions of the layer stack located above a horizontal plane including a top surface of the dielectric material layer may be removed. A contiguous set of remaining material portions of the layer stack includes a metal interconnect structure that is free of a pitted surface.

A method of fabricating an IC device is disclosed, in which a dielectric layer is first etched to form a contact opening and a dummy opening. Both do not extend through the dielectric layer, the contact opening has a width greater than that of the dummy opening. A sacrificial layer, which covers inner surface of the dummy opening and the dielectric layer at side surface of the contact opening, and from which the dielectric layer at bottom surface of the contact opening is exposed, is then formed, and under protection of this sacrificial layer, the dielectric layer exposed in the contact opening is etched in a self-aligned manner, a self-aligned contact hole is formed, in which a surface of the conductive structure is exposed. In this way, reliability of a contact that extends in both contact opening and self-aligned contact hole is ensured, avoiding the problem of possible contact failure.

The present disclosure describes a method for the fabrication of ruthenium conductive structures over cobalt conductive structures. In some embodiments, the method includes forming a first opening in a dielectric layer to expose a first cobalt contact and filling the first opening with ruthenium metal to form a ruthenium contact on the first cobalt contact. The method also includes forming a second opening in the dielectric layer to expose a second cobalt contact and a gate structure and filling the second opening with tungsten to form a tungsten contact on the second cobalt contact and the gate structure. Further, the method includes forming a copper conductive structure on the ruthenium contact and the tungsten contact, where the copper from the copper conductive structure is in contact with the ruthenium metal from the ruthenium contact.

A semiconductor structure includes a semiconductor fin protruding from a substrate; a gate structure engaging with the semiconductor fin. The semiconductor structure also includes an interlayer dielectric (ILD) layer disposed over the substrate and adjacent to the gate structure, where a top surface of the gate structure is below a top surface of the ILD layer; a first metal layer in direct contact with a top surface of the gate structure; a second metal layer disposed over the first metal layer, where the first metal layer is disposed on bottom and sidewall surfaces of the second metal layer, where the bottom surface of the second metal layer has a concave profile, and where the second metal layer differs from the first metal layer in composition; and a gate contact disposed over the second metal layer.

A semiconductor package includes a redistribution structure, a supporting layer, a semiconductor device, and a transition waveguide structure. The redistribution structure includes a plurality of connectors. The supporting layer is formed over the redistribution structure and disposed beside and between the plurality of connectors. The semiconductor device is disposed on the supporting layer and bonded to the plurality of connectors, wherein the semiconductor device includes a device waveguide. The transition waveguide structure is disposed on the supporting layer adjacent to the semiconductor device, wherein the transition waveguide structure is optically coupled to the device waveguide.

Methods of forming a semiconductor device structure are described. The method includes forming a first conductive feature including a conductive fill material over a substrate, forming an etch stop layer on the conductive fill material, forming an intermetallization dielectric on the etch stop layer, forming an opening in the etch stop layer and the intermetallization dielectric to expose a portion of the conductive fill material, forming a recess in the exposed portion of the conductive fill material, and the opening and the recess together form a rivet-shaped space. The method further includes forming a second conductive feature in the rivet-shaped space and forming a metal nitride layer over the intermetallization dielectric and the second conductive feature. The forming the metal nitride layer includes depositing the metal nitride layer and treating the metal nitride layer with a plasma treatment process.