Disclosed is a semiconductor device including a first active pattern that extends in a first direction on an active region of a substrate, a first source/drain pattern in a recess on an upper portion of the first active pattern, a gate electrode that runs across a first channel pattern on the upper portion of the first active pattern and extends in a second direction intersecting the first direction, and an active contact electrically connected to the first source/drain pattern.

Improved gate structures, methods for forming the same, and semiconductor devices including the same are disclosed. In an embodiment, a semiconductor device includes a gate structure over a semiconductor substrate, the gate structure including a high-k dielectric layer; a gate electrode over the high-k dielectric layer; a conductive cap over and in contact with the high-k dielectric layer and the gate electrode, a top surface of the conductive cap being convex; and first gate spacers on opposite sides of the gate structure, the high-k dielectric layer and the conductive cap extending between opposite sidewalls of the first gate spacers.

An integrated circuit includes a first nanostructure transistor including a plurality of first semiconductor nanostructures over a substrate and a source/drain region in contact with each of the first semiconductor nanostructures. The integrated circuit includes a second nanostructure transistor including a plurality of second semiconductor nanostructures and a second source/drain region in contact with one or more of the second semiconductor nanostructures but not in contact with one or more other second semiconductor nanostructures.

An IC structure comprises an MTJ cell, a transistor, a first word line, and a second word line. The transistor is electrically coupled to the MTJ cell. The transistor comprises a first gate terminal and a second gate terminal independent of the first gate terminal. The first word line is electrically coupled to the first gate terminal of the transistor. The second word line is electrically coupled to the second gate terminal of the transistor. A resistance state of the MTJ cell is dependent on a first word line voltage applied to the first word line and a second word line voltage applied to the second word line, and the resistance state of the MTJ cell follows an AND gate logic or an OR gate logic.

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming a fin structure including a stacked layer of first semiconductor layers and second semiconductor layers disposed over a bottom fin structure and a hard mask layer over the stacked layer, forming an isolation insulating layer so that the hard mask layer and the stacked layer are exposed from the isolation insulating layer, forming a sacrificial cladding layer over at least sidewalls of the exposed hard mask layer and stacked layer, forming layers of a first dielectric layer and an insertion layer over the sacrificial cladding layer and the fin structure, performing an annealing operation to convert a portion of the layers of the first dielectric layer and the insertion layer from an amorphous form to a crystalline form, and removing the remaining amorphous portion of the layers of the first dielectric layer and the insertion layer to form a recess.

A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor fin structure extending in a first direction on a substrate and a first dielectric fin structure extending parallel to the fin structure, the first dielectric fin structure being underneath a gate structure extending in a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction. The device further includes a second dielectric fin structure extending parallel to the fin structure, the second dielectric feature being positioned beneath a gate cut feature. A top surface of the first dielectric fin structure is higher than a top surface of the second dielectric fin structure.

A method of fabricating a semiconductor device includes forming at least one fin on a substrate, a plurality of dummy gates over the at least one fin, and a sidewall spacer on the dummy gates. Source and drain regions are epitaxially formed contacting the at least one fin and laterally adjacent the dummy gates, where forming the source and drain regions leaves a void below the source and drain regions and adjacent the dummy gates. The dummy gates are replaced with active gates, each having a gate dielectric on the sidewall spacer and a gate electrode on the gate dielectric. A patterned layer is formed exposing a selected active gate of the active gates. A first etch is performed to remove exposed portions of the gate electrode of the selected active gate. A second etch is performed, after the first etch, to remove exposed portions of a gate dielectric of the selected active gate.

A method includes forming a protruding semiconductor stack including a plurality of sacrificial layers and a plurality of nanostructures, with the plurality of sacrificial layers and the plurality of nanostructures being laid out alternatingly. The method further includes forming a dummy gate structure on the protruding semiconductor stack, etching the protruding semiconductor stack to form a source/drain recess, and forming a source/drain region in the source/drain recess. The formation of the source/drain region includes growing first epitaxial layers. The first epitaxial layers are grown on sidewalls of the plurality of nanostructures, and a cross-section of each of the first epitaxial layers has a quadrilateral shape. The first epitaxial layers have a first dopant concentration. The formation of the source/drain region further includes growing a second epitaxial layer on the first epitaxial layers. The second epitaxial layer has a second dopant concentration higher than the first dopant concentration.

A method for forming a semiconductor structure is provided. The method includes forming a fin structure over a substrate. The fin structure includes a protection layer and alternating first and second semiconductor layers over the protection layer. The method also includes etching the fin structure to form a source/drain recess, forming a sacrificial contact in the source/drain recess, forming a source/drain feature over the sacrificial contact in the source/drain recess, removing the first semiconductor layers of the fin structure, thereby forming a plurality of nanostructures, forming a gate stack wrapping around the nanostructures, removing the substrate thereby exposing the protection layer and the sacrificial contact and replacing the sacrificial contact with a contact plug.

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.