The present disclosure relates to semiconductor structures and, more particularly, to gate structures and methods of manufacture. The structure includes: a gate structure comprising a horizontal portion and a substantially vertical stem portion; and an air gap surrounding the substantially vertical stem portion and having a curved surface under the horizontal portion.

A semiconductor device includes: a substrate including first and second regions, first and second active patterns in the first and second regions, respectively; first source/drain patterns and a first channel pattern including first semiconductor patterns; second source/drain patterns and a second channel pattern including second semiconductor patterns; first and second gate electrodes on the first and second channel patterns, respectively; and a first gate dielectric layer and a second gate dielectric layer. The first gate dielectric layer includes a first interface layer between the first channel pattern and the first gate electrode, and a first high-k dielectric layer. The second gate dielectric layer includes a second interface layer and a second high-k dielectric layer between the second channel pattern and the second gate electrode. A thickness of the first high-k dielectric layer is greater than that of the second high-k dielectric layer. A thickness of the first semiconductor pattern is less than that of the second semiconductor pattern

Methods may include providing a device structure having a shielding layer formed beneath each trench in a MOSFET to protect trench corner breakdown. The method may include providing a device structure comprising an epitaxial layer, a well over the epitaxial layer, and a source layer over the well, and providing a plurality of trenches through the device structure. The method may further include forming a shielding layer in the device structure by directing ions into the plurality of trenches.

There is provided a semiconductor device including: a semiconductor layer including a main surface; a plurality of trenches including a plurality of first trench portions and a plurality of second trench portions, respectively; an insulating layer formed in an inner wall of each of the second trench portions; a first electrode buried in each of the second trench portions with the insulating layer interposed between the first electrode and each of the second trench portions; a plurality of insulators buried in the first trench portions so as to cover the first electrode; a contact hole formed at a region between the plurality of first trench portions in the semiconductor layer so as to expose the plurality of insulators; and a second electrode buried in the contact hole.

Embodiments of mechanisms for forming dislocations in source and drain regions of finFET devices are provided. The mechanisms involve recessing fins and removing the dielectric material in the isolation structures neighboring fins to increase epitaxial regions for dislocation formation. The mechanisms also involve performing a pre-amorphous implantation (PAI) process either before or after the epitaxial growth in the recessed source and drain regions. An anneal process after the PAI process enables consistent growth of the dislocations in the source and drain regions. The dislocations in the source and drain regions (or stressor regions) can form consistently to produce targeted strain in the source and drain regions to improve carrier mobility and device performance for NMOS devices.

Aspects of the present disclosure are directed to circuitry operable with enhanced capacitance and mitigation of avalanche breakdown. As may be implemented in accordance with one or more embodiments, an apparatus and/or method involves respective transistors of a cascode circuit, one of which controls the other in an off state by applying a voltage to a gate thereof. A plurality of doped regions are separated by trenches, with the conductive trenches being configured and arranged with the doped regions to provide capacitance across the source and the drain of the second transistor, and restricting voltage at one of the source and the drain of the second transistor, therein mitigating avalanche breakdown of the second transistor.

Exemplary power semiconductor devices with features providing increased breakdown voltage and other benefits are disclosed.

The present application contemplates a method for manufacturing a power semiconductor device. The method comprises: providing a wafer of a first conductivity type, the wafer having a first main side and a second main side opposite to the first main side, and the wafer including an active cell area, which extends from the first main side to the second main side, in a central part of the wafer and a termination area surrounding the active cell area in an orthogonal projection onto a plane parallel to the first main side; forming a metallization layer on the first main side to electrically contact the wafer in the active cell area, wherein the surface of the metallization layer, which faces away from the wafer, defines a first plane parallel to the first main side; forming an isolation layer on the first main side in the termination area, wherein the surface of the isolation layer facing away from the wafer defines a second plane parallel to the first main side; after the step of forming the metallization layer and after the step of forming the isolation layer, mounting the wafer with its first main side to a flat surface of a chuck; and thereafter thinning the wafer from its second main side by grinding while pressing the second main side of the wafer onto a grinding wheel by applying a pressure between the chuck and the grinding wheel, wherein the first plane is further away from the wafer than a third plane, which is parallel to the second plane and arranged at a distance of 1 μm from the second plane in a direction towards the wafer.

A semiconductor device and a process of forming the semiconductor device are disclosed. The semiconductor device type of a high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) has double SiN films on a semiconductor layer, where the first SiN film is formed by the lower pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) technique, while, the second SiN film is deposited by the plasma assisted CVD (p-CVD) technique. Moreover, the gate electrode has an arrangement of double metals, one of which contains nickel (Ni) as a Schottky metal, while the other is free from Ni and covers the former metal. A feature of the invention is that the first metal is in contact with the semiconductor layer but apart from the second SiN film.

A semiconductor device of the present invention includes a semiconductor layer, a gate trench that defines a source region of a first conductivity type in the semiconductor layer, a channel region of a second conductivity type of a lower part of the source region, a source trench that passes through the source region and the channel region, an impurity region of the second conductivity type of a bottom part and a side part of the source trench, a source electrode on the semiconductor layer, and a highly-concentrated impurity region of the second conductivity type, the highly-concentrated impurity region having a contact portion connected to the source electrode at a surface of the semiconductor layer, the highly-concentrated impurity region passing through the source region and extending to a position deeper than the source region, the highly-concentrated impurity region having a concentration higher than the impurity region.