The present application discloses a method for fabricating a semiconductor device including: providing a photomask including an opaque layer on a mask substrate and surrounding a translucent layer on the mask substrate; forming a pre-process mask layer on a device stack; patterning the pre-process mask layer using the photomask to form a patterned mask layer including a mask region corresponding to the opaque layer, a trench region corresponding to the translucent layer, and a via hole corresponding to the mask opening of via feature; performing a damascene etching process to form a via opening and a trench opening in the device stack. The device stack includes a first dielectric layer on a substrate, a first etch stop layer on the first dielectric layer, and a second dielectric layer on the first etch stop layer. The damascene etching process forms the trench opening having a bottom on the first etch stop layer.

In a contact hole of an interlayer insulating film, a tungsten film forming a contact plug is embedded via a barrier metal. The interlayer insulating film is formed by sequentially stacked HTO and BPSG films. The BPSG film has an etching rate faster than that of the HTO film with respect to a hydrofluoric acid solution used in wet etching of preprocessing before formation of the barrier metal. After the contact hole is formed in the interlayer insulating film, a width of an upper portion of the contact hole at the BPSG film is increased in a step-like shape, to be wider than a width of a lower portion at the HTO film by the wet etching before the formation of the barrier metal, whereby an aspect ratio of the contact hole is reduced. Thus, size reductions and enhancement of the reliability may be realized.

Some embodiments relate to a semiconductor device manufacturing process. In the process, a substrate is provided, and a sacrificial layer is formed over the substrate. An opening is patterned through the sacrificial layer, and the opening is filled with conductive material. The sacrificial layer is removed while the conductive material is left in place. A first dielectric layer is formed along sidewalls of the conductive material that was left in place.

In a contact hole of an interlayer insulating film, a tungsten film forming a contact plug is embedded via a barrier metal. The interlayer insulating film is formed by sequentially stacked HTO and BPSG films. The BPSG film has an etching rate faster than that of the HTO film with respect to a hydrofluoric acid solution used in wet etching of preprocessing before formation of the barrier metal. After the contact hole is formed in the interlayer insulating film, a width of an upper portion of the contact hole at the BPSG film is increased in a step-like shape, to be wider than a width of a lower portion at the HTO film by the wet etching before the formation of the barrier metal, whereby an aspect ratio of the contact hole is reduced. Thus, size reductions and enhancement of the reliability may be realized.

The present disclosure provides a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device. The method includes forming an interconnect layer on a semiconductor component, wherein the interconnect layer contains at least one metal pad electrically coupled to the semiconductor component; depositing an insulating layer on the interconnect layer; depositing a bonding dielectric on the insulating layer; and forming a re-routing layer penetrating through the bonding dielectric and the insulating layer and contacting the interconnect layer.

The present disclosure provides a method for preparing a semiconductor device structure with fine patterns at different levels. The method includes forming a hard mask material over a substrate; etching the hardmask material to form hard mask pillars; forming spacers over sidewall surfaces of the hard mask pillars; etching the hard mask pillars and the target material by using the spacers as a mask to integrally forming a plurality of target structures, a high-level recesses in one of the plurality of target structures and a low-level recess between two target structures; and integrally forming a high-level conductive pattern in the high-level conductive pattern and a low-level conductive pattern in the low-level recess.

A semiconductor structure and a fabrication method are provided. The semiconductor structure includes: a substrate; a gate structure on the substrate and extending along a first direction; source/drain doped layers in the substrate at sides of the gate structure; a first conductive structure on the source/drain doped layers; an opening at a top of the gate structure and the first conductive structure; and a second conductive structure in the opening. The opening extends along a second direction and the second direction is different from the first direction. The second conductive structure is insulated from the first conductive structure and in contact with the gate structure.

The present disclosure provides a semiconductor device structure with fine patterns and a method for forming the semiconductor device structure, which prevents the collapse of the fine patterns. The semiconductor device structure includes a first target structure and a second target structure disposed over a semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor device structure also includes a first spacer element disposed over the first target structure, wherein a topmost point of the first spacer element is between a central line of the first target structure and a central line of the second target structure in a cross-sectional view.

Apparatuses and methods to provide a fully self-aligned via are described. A first metallization layer comprises a set of first conductive lines extending along a first direction on a first insulating layer on a substrate, the set of first conductive lines recessed below a top portion of the first insulating layer. A capping layer is on the first insulating layer, and a second insulating layer is on the capping layer. A second metallization layer comprises a set of second conductive lines on the second insulating layer and on a third insulating layer above the first metallization layer. The set of second conductive lines extend along a second direction that crosses the first direction at an angle. At least one via is between the first metallization layer and the second metallization layer. The via is self-aligned along the second direction to one of the first conductive lines. The tapering angle of the via opening may be in a range of from about 60° to about 120°.

The present disclosure provides a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device. The method includes forming an interconnect layer on a semiconductor component, wherein the interconnect layer contains at least one metal pad electrically coupled to the semiconductor component; depositing an insulating layer on the interconnect layer; depositing a bonding dielectric on the insulating layer; and forming a re-routing layer penetrating through the bonding dielectric and the insulating layer and contacting the interconnect layer.