A semiconductor structure may include one or more metal gates, one or more channels below the one or more metal gates, a gate dielectric layer separating the one or more metal gates from the one or more channels, and a high-k material embedded in the gate dielectric layer. Both the high-k material and the gate dielectric layer may be in direct contact with the one or more channels. The high-k material may provide threshold voltage variation in the one or more metal gates. The high-k material is a first high-k material or a second high-k material. The semiconductor structure may only include the first high-k material embedded in the gate dielectric layer. The semiconductor structure may only include the second high-k material embedded in the gate dielectric layer. The semiconductor structure may include both the first high-k material and the second high-k material embedded in the gate dielectric layer.

Provided is a ferroelectric field effect transistor (FeFET) which has a wide memory window even if the ferroelectric film thickness is 200 nm or less, and which has excellent data retention characteristics, pulse rewriting endurance and the like. An FeFET which has a structure wherein an insulating body (11) and a gate electrode conductor (4) are sequentially laminated in this order on a semiconductor base (10) that has a source region (12) and a drain region (13). The insulating body (11) is configured by laminating a first insulating body (1) and a second insulating body (2) in this order on the base (10), and the second insulating body (2) is mainly composed of an oxide of strontium, calcium, bismuth and tantalum.

A control gate electrode and a memory gate electrode of a memory cell of a non-volatile memory are formed in a memory cell region of a semiconductor substrate, and a dummy gate electrode is formed in a peripheral circuit region. Then, n.sup.+-type semiconductor regions for a source or a drain of the memory cell are formed in the memory cell region and n.sup.+-type semiconductor regions for a source or a drain of MISFET are formed in the peripheral circuit region. Then, a metal silicide layer is formed over the n.sup.+-type semiconductor regions but the metal silicide layer is not formed over the control gate electrode, the memory gate electrode, and the gate electrode. Subsequently, the gate electrode is removed and replaced with the gate electrode for MISFET, Then, after removing the gate electrode and replacing it with a gate electrode for MISFET, a metal silicide layer is formed over the memory gate electrode and the control gate electrode.

The disclosed subject matter provides a semiconductor structure and fabrication method thereof. In a semiconductor structure, a dielectric layer, a plurality of discrete gate structures, and a plurality of sidewall spacers are formed on a semiconductor substrate. The plurality of discrete gate structures and sidewall spacers are formed in the dielectric layer, and a sidewall spacer is formed on each side of each gate structure. A top portion of each gate structure and a top portion of the dielectric layer between neighboring sidewall spacers of neighboring gate structures are removed. A protective layer is formed on each of the remaining dielectric layer and the remaining gate structures. Contact holes are formed on the semiconductor substrate, between neighboring sidewall spacers, and on opposite sides of the protective layer on the remaining dielectric layer. A metal plug is formed in each contact hole.

A semiconductor device includes: a sidewall insulating film; a gate electrode; source and drain regions; a first stress film; and a second stress film.

A semiconductor device includes a first active structure on a substrate including a first epitaxial pattern, a second epitaxial pattern and a first channel pattern between the first epitaxial pattern and the second epitaxial pattern, the first channel pattern including at least one channel pattern stacked on the substrate. A first gate structure is disposed on top and bottom surfaces of the first channel pattern. A second active structure on the substrate and includes the second epitaxial pattern, a third epitaxial pattern and a second channel pattern between the second epitaxial pattern and the third epitaxial pattern in the first direction. The second channel pattern includes at least one channel pattern stacked on the substrate. The number of stacked second channel patterns is greater than the number of stacked first channel patterns. A second gate structure is disposed on top and bottom surfaces of the second channel pattern.

Integrated circuit devices include a substrate including first and second fin-type active regions and first and second gate structures. The first gate structure includes first gate insulating layer on the first fin-type active region to cover upper surface and both side surfaces of the first fin-type active region, first gate electrode on the first gate insulating layer and has first thickness in first direction perpendicular to upper surface of the substrate, and second gate electrode on the first gate electrode. The second gate structure includes second gate insulating layer on the second fin-type active region to cover upper surface and both side surfaces of the second fin-type active region, third gate insulating layer on the second gate insulating layer, third gate electrode on the third gate insulating layer and has second thickness different from the first thickness in the first direction, and fourth gate electrode on the third gate electrode.

An integrated circuit device is provided that includes a first fin structure and a second fin structure extending from a substrate. The first fin structure is a first composition, and includes rounded corners. The second fin structure is a second composition, different than the first composition. A first interface layer is formed directly on the first fin structure including the rounded corners and a second interface layer directly on the second fin structure. The first interface layer is an oxide of the first composition and the second interface layer is an oxide of the second composition. A gate dielectric layer is formed over the first interface layer and the second interface layer.

Semiconductor devices and fabrication methods thereof are provided. An exemplary fabrication method includes forming an interlayer dielectric layer on a base substrate; forming a plurality of first openings and second openings in the interlayer dielectric layer, one first opening connecting to a second opening, the one first opening being between the second opening and the base substrate; forming a high-K gate dielectric layer on side and bottom surfaces of the first openings and on side surfaces of the second openings; forming a cap layer, containing oxygen ions, on the high-K gate dielectric layer; forming an amorphous silicon layer on the cap layer at least on the bottoms of the first openings; performing a thermal annealing process on the amorphous silicon layer, the cap layer and the high-K dielectric; removing the amorphous silicon layer; and forming a metal layer, in the first openings and the second openings.

A nano-crystalline high-k film and methods of forming the same in a semiconductor device are disclosed herein. The nano-crystalline high-k film may be initially deposited as an amorphous matrix layer of dielectric material and self-contained nano-crystallite regions may be formed within and suspended in the amorphous matrix layer. As such, the amorphous matrix layer material separates the self-contained nano-crystallite regions from one another preventing grain boundaries from forming as leakage and/or oxidant paths within the dielectric layer. Dopants may be implanted in the dielectric material and crystal phase of the self-contained nano-crystallite regions maybe modified to change one or more of the permittivity of the high-k dielectric material and/or a ferroelectric property of the dielectric material.