A transistor, including an antiferroelectric (AFE) gate dielectric layer is described. The AFE gate dielectric layer may be crystalline and include oxygen and a dopant. The transistor further includes a gate electrode on the AFE gate dielectric layer, a source structure and a drain structure on the substrate, where the gate electrode is between the source structure and the drain structure. The transistor further includes a source contact coupled with the source structure and a drain contact coupled with the drain structure.

A ferroelectric memory device includes an alternating stack of insulator layers and electrically conductive layers and located over a top surface of a substrate, a memory stack structure vertically extending through the alternating stack and including a ferroelectric material layer, a front-side gate dielectric contacting the ferroelectric material layer, and a vertical semiconductor channel contacting the front-side gate dielectric, a backside gate dielectric contacting the vertical semiconductor channel, and a backside gate electrode contacting the backside gate dielectric. Portions of the ferroelectric material layer adjacent to the electrically material layers can be programmed with polarization states to store data.

An electrical contact structure (an MIS contact) includes one or more conductors (M-Layer), a semiconductor (S-Layer), and an interfacial dielectric layer (I-Layer) of less than 4 nm thickness disposed between and in contact with both the M-Layer and the S-Layer. The I-Layer is an oxide of a metal or a semiconductor. The conductor of the M-Layer that is adjacent to and in direct contact with the I-Layer is a metal oxide that is electrically conductive, chemically stable and unreactive at its interface with the I-Layer at temperatures up to 450 C. The electrical contact structure has a specific contact resistivity of less than or equal to approximately 10.sup.5-10.sup.7 -cm.sup.2 when the doping in the semiconductor adjacent the MIS contact is greater than approximately 210.sup.19 cm.sup.3 and less than approximately 10.sup.8 -cm.sup.2 when the doping in the semiconductor adjacent the MIS contact is greater than approximately 10.sup.20 cm.sup.3.

In a manufacturing step in which a structure of target of screening is formed on a semiconductor substrate in the middle of manufacturing process before a semiconductor device is finished, screening of potential defects of a gate insulating film is performed for each wafer at one time so that the semiconductor device is caused to appear as an initial defective product when the finished semiconductor device is subjected to an electrical characteristic test. Provided are a semiconductor device, and a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device which enables reliable screening of potential defects in a short period of time.

A manufacturing method of a semiconductor device includes the following steps. Trenches are formed on a substrate, and the trenches are formed on a first region and a second region defined on the substrate. A barrier layer is formed conformally in the trenches. A first pull-down process is performed to the barrier layer on the second region. The barrier layer on the first region is covered by a first mask during the first pull-down process. A second pull-down process is performed to the barrier layer on the first region. The barrier layer on the second region is covered by a second mask during the second pull-down process. A proportion of an area of the trenches on the first region to an area of the first region is different from a proportion of an area of the trenches on the second region to an area of the second region.

A method for preserving interlevel dielectric in a gate cut region includes recessing a dielectric fill to expose cap layers of gate structures formed in a device region and in a cut region and forming a liner in the recess on top of the recessed dielectric fill. The liner includes a material to provide etch selectivity to protect the dielectric fill. The gate structures in the cut region are recessed to form a gate recess using the liner to protect the dielectric fill from etching. A gate material is removed from within the gate structure using the liner to protect the dielectric fill from etching. A dielectric gap fill is formed to replace the gate material and to fill the gate recess in the cut region.

In a manufacturing step in which a structure of target of screening is formed on a semiconductor substrate in the middle of manufacturing process before a semiconductor device is finished, screening of potential defects of a gate insulating film is performed for each wafer at one time so that the semiconductor device is caused to appear as an initial defective product when the finished semiconductor device is subjected to an electrical characteristic test. Provided are a semiconductor device, and a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device which enables reliable screening of potential defects in a short period of time.

Embodiments are directed to a method of forming a stacked nanosheet and resulting structures having equal thickness work function metal layers. A nanosheet stack is formed on a substrate. The nanosheet stack includes a first sacrificial layer formed on a first nanosheet. A hard mask is formed on the first sacrificial layer and the first sacrificial layer is removed to form a cavity between the hard mask and the first nanosheet. A work function layer is formed to fill the cavity between the hard mask and the first nanosheet.

An electrical contact structure (an MIS contact) includes one or more conductors (M-Layer), a semiconductor (S-Layer), and an interfacial dielectric layer (I-Layer) of less than 4 nm thickness disposed between and in contact with both the M-Layer and the S-Layer. The I-Layer is an oxide of a metal or a semiconductor. The conductor of the M-Layer that is adjacent to and in direct contact with the I-Layer is a metal oxide that is electrically conductive, chemically stable and unreactive at its interface with the I-Layer at temperatures up to 450 C. The electrical contact structure has a specific contact resistivity of less than or equal to approximately 10.sup.5-10.sup.7 -cm.sup.2 when the doping in the semiconductor adjacent the MIS contact is greater than approximately 210.sup.19 cm.sup.3 and less than approximately 10.sup.8 -cm.sup.2 when the doping in the semiconductor adjacent the MIS contact is greater than approximately 10.sup.20 cm.sup.3.

An electrical contact structure (an MIS contact) includes one or more conductors (M-Layer), a semiconductor (S-Layer), and an interfacial dielectric layer (I-Layer) of less than 4 nm thickness disposed between and in contact with both the M-Layer and the S-Layer. The I-Layer is an oxide of a metal or a semiconductor. The conductor of the M-Layer that is adjacent to and in direct contact with the I-Layer is a metal oxide that is electrically conductive, chemically stable and unreactive at its interface with the I-Layer at temperatures up to 450 C. The electrical contact structure has a specific contact resistivity of less than or equal to approximately 10.sup.5-10.sup.7 -cm.sup.2 when the doping in the semiconductor adjacent the MIS contact is greater than approximately 210.sup.19 cm.sup.3 and less than approximately 10.sup.8 -cm.sup.2 when the doping in the semiconductor adjacent the MIS contact is greater than approximately 10.sup.20 cm.sup.3.