Methods and devices for forming a conductive line disposed over a substrate. A first dielectric layer is disposed over the substrate and coplanar with the conductive line. A second dielectric layer disposed over the conductive line and a third dielectric layer disposed over the first dielectric layer. A via extends through the second dielectric layer and is coupled to the conductive line. The second dielectric layer and the third dielectric layer are coplanar and the second and third dielectric layers have a different composition. In some embodiments, the second dielectric layer is selectively deposited on the conductive line.

An integrated circuit structure includes a bulk semiconductor region, a first semiconductor strip over and connected to the bulk semiconductor region, and a dielectric layer including silicon oxide therein. Carbon atoms are doped in the silicon oxide. The dielectric layer includes a horizontal portion over and contacting a top surface of the bulk semiconductor region, and a vertical portion connected to an end of the horizontal portion. The vertical portion contacts a sidewall of a lower portion of the first semiconductor strip. A top portion of the first semiconductor strip protrudes higher than a top surface of the vertical portion to form a semiconductor fin. The horizontal portion and the vertical portion have a same thickness. A gate stack extends on a sidewall and a top surface of the semiconductor fin.

The present invention provides a thin-film transistor substrate including a base substrate and a thin-film transistor, the thin-film transistor including: a gate electrode; a gate insulating layer; a source electrode and a drain electrode; and an oxide semiconductor layer in this order. The source electrode and the drain electrode each include a first conductive layer and a second conductive layer covering the first conductive layer. The second conductive layer contains at least one element selected from the group consisting of molybdenum, tantalum, tungsten, and nickel. The gate insulating layer in a region between the source electrode and the drain electrode has a smaller thickness than in a region below the source electrode and in a region below the drain electrode.

Disclosed is a method of forming a semiconductor device. The method includes providing a precursor having a substrate and protrusions over the substrate. The protrusions are interposed by trenches. The method further includes depositing a first dielectric layer over the protrusions and filling the trenches. The first dielectric layer has a first hardness. The method further includes treating the first dielectric layer with an oxidizer. The method further includes performing a chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) process to the first dielectric layer.

Disclosed herein are techniques for providing isolation in integrated circuit (IC) devices, as well as IC devices and computing systems that utilize such techniques. In some embodiments, a protective layer may be disposed on a structure in an IC device, prior to deposition of additional dielectric material, and the resulting assembly may be treated to form a dielectric layer around the structure.

A semiconductor structure and a method for forming the same are provided. The semiconductor structure includes a gate structure, a gate spacer, a source/drain structure, a contact structure, a glue layer and a barrier layer. The gate structure is positioned over a fin structure. The gate spacer is positioned over the fin structure and on a sidewall surface of the gate structure. The source/drain structure is positioned in the fin structure and adjacent to the gate spacer. The contact structure is positioned over the source/drain structure. The glue layer covers a bottom surface and a sidewall surface of the contact structure. The barrier layer encircles the sidewall surface of the contact structure. A bottom surface of the glue layer is exposed to the barrier layer.

A substrate processing method includes a liquid film forming step of forming a liquid film of an organic solvent with which a whole area of an upper surface of a substrate is covered in order to replace a processing liquid existing on the upper surface with an organic solvent liquid, a thin film holding step of thinning the liquid film of the organic solvent by rotating the substrate at a first high rotational speed while keeping surroundings of the whole area of the upper surface in an atmosphere of an organic solvent vapor and holding a resulting thin film of the organic solvent on the upper surface, and a thin-film removing step of removing the thin film from the upper surface after the thin film holding step, and the thin-film removing step includes a high-speed rotation step of rotating the substrate at a second high rotational speed.

Embodiments described herein relate generally to methods for forming a conductive feature in a dielectric layer in semiconductor processing and structures formed thereby. In some embodiments, a structure includes a dielectric layer over a substrate, a surface modification layer, and a conductive feature. The dielectric layer has a sidewall. The surface modification layer is along the sidewall, and the surface modification layer includes phosphorous and carbon. The conductive feature is along the surface modification layer.

A substrate processing device includes a processing tank, a substrate holding unit, a fluid supply unit, and a control unit. The processing tank stores a processing liquid for processing a substrate. The substrate holding unit holds the substrate in the processing liquid in the processing tank. The fluid supply unit supplies a fluid to the processing tank. The control unit controls the fluid supply unit. The control unit controls the fluid supply unit such that the fluid supply unit changes supply of the fluid during a period from a start of supply of the fluid to the processing tank storing the processing liquid in which the substrate is immersed to an end of supply of the fluid to the processing tank storing the processing liquid in which the substrate is immersed.

A substrate processing method includes a first processing step of processing a substrate using phosphoric acid set to a first temperature in a processing tank, and a second processing step of processing the substrate using phosphoric acid set to a second temperature in the processing tank.