Exemplary semiconductor processing systems may include a substrate support defining an aperture therethrough. The processing systems may include a light assembly having a light source that emits an optical signal that is directed toward the aperture. The optical signal may have a high angle of incidence relative to the substrate support. The processing systems may include a photodetector aligned with an angle of reflectance of the optical signal.

The present disclosure describes an apparatus for chemical-mechanical polishing of a semiconductor wafer. Some embodiments of the present disclosure include a pad, a slurry introduction mechanism, a wafer carrier (e.g., carrying a wafer being polished by the chemical-mechanical polishing system), a pad conditioner, and a pad cooling mechanism. The pad cooling mechanism of the present disclosure may apply a liquid or gas to the pad (e.g., to an upper surface of the pad) to control the temperature of the pad as the chemical-mechanical polishing process occurs. As a result, the temperature of the pad may be maintained at a safe and operable level for an extended period of time during chemical-mechanical polishing of a wafer.

A method of forming a semiconductor structure includes forming a first middle-of-line (MOL) oxide layer and a second MOL oxide layer in the semiconductor structure. The first MOL oxide layer including multiple gate stacks formed on a substrate, and each gate stack of the gate stacks including a source/drain junction. A first nitride layer is formed over a silicide in the first MOL oxide layer. A second nitride layer is formed. Trenches are formed through the second nitride layer down to the source/drain junctions. A nitride cap of the plurality of gate stacks is selectively recessed. At least one self-aligned contact area (CA) element is formed within the first nitride layer. The first MOL oxide layer is selectively recessed. An air-gap oxide layer is deposited. The air gap oxide layer is reduced to the at least one self-aligned CA element and the first nitride layer.

The substrate processing method includes a hydrophilization step of hydrophilizing a surface of a substrate, a processing liquid supplying step of supplying a processing liquid to the hydrophilized surface of the substrate, a processing film forming step in which the processing liquid supplied to the surface of the substrate is solidified or cured to form a processing film on the surface of the substrate, and a peeling step in which a peeling liquid is supplied to the surface of the substrate to peel the processing film from the surface of the substrate. The peeling step includes a penetrating hole forming step in which the processing film is partially dissolved in the peeling liquid to form a penetrating hole in the processing film.

A method of planarizing a substrate comprises dispensing formable material onto a substrate, contacting a superstrate held by a superstrate chuck with the formable material on the substrate, thereby forming a multilayer structure including the superstrate, a film of the formable material, and the substrate, releasing the multilayer structure from the superstrate chuck, providing a space between the superstrate chuck and the multilayer structure after the releasing, positioning a light source into the provided space between the superstrate chuck and the multilayer structure, and curing the film of the multilayer structure by exposing the film to light emitted from the light source.

A semiconductor device includes a bottom electrode, a top electrode, a sidewall spacer, and a data storage element. The sidewall spacer is disposed aside the top electrode. The data storage element is located between the bottom electrode and the top electrode, and includes a ferroelectric material. The data storage element has a peripheral region which is disposed beneath the sidewall spacer and which has at least 60% of ferroelectric phase. A method for manufacturing the semiconductor device and a method for transforming a non-ferroelectric phase of a ferroelectric material to a ferroelectric phase are also disclosed.

An upper surface of a plug (PL1) is formed so as to be higher than an upper surface of an interlayer insulating film (PIL) by forming the interlayer insulating film (PIL) on a semiconductor substrate (1S), completing a CMP method for forming the plug (PL1) inside the interlayer insulating film (PIL), and then, making the upper surface of the interlayer insulating film (PIL) to recede. In this manner, reliability of connection between the plug (PL1) and a wiring (W1) in a vertical direction can be ensured. Also, the wiring (W1) can be formed so as not to be embedded inside the interlayer insulating film (PIL), or a formed amount by the embedding can be reduced.

Some embodiments include a semiconductor construction which has one or more openings extending into a substrate. The openings are at least partially filled with dielectric material comprising silicon, oxygen and carbon. The carbon is present to a concentration within a range of from about 3 atomic percent to about 20 atomic percent. Some embodiments include a method of providing dielectric fill across a semiconductor construction having an opening extending therein. The semiconductor construction has an upper surface proximate the opening. The method includes forming photopatternable dielectric material within the opening and across the upper surface, and exposing the photopatternable dielectric material to patterned actinic radiation. Subsequently, the photopatternable dielectric material is developed to pattern the photopatternable dielectric material into a first dielectric structure which at least partially fills the opening, and to remove the photopatternable dielectric material from over the upper surface.

A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus includes: a stage installed inside a processing chamber and holding a semiconductor substrate having a high-k insulating film including silicate; and a gas supply line including a first system supplying reactive gas to the processing chamber and a second system supplying catalytic gas to the processing chamber, wherein mixed gas which includes complex forming gas reacting with a metal element included in the high-k insulating film to form a first volatile organometallic complex and complex stabilizing material gas increasing stability of the first organometallic complex is supplied as the reactive gas, and catalytic gas using a second organometallic complex, which modifies the high-k insulating film and promotes a formation reaction of the first organometallic complex, as a raw material is supplied.

Methods of improved selectively for SAM-based selective depositions are described. Some of the methods include forming a SAM on a second surface and a carbonized layer on the first surface. The substrate is exposed to an oxygenating agent to remove the carbonized layer from the first surface, and a film is deposited on the first surface over the protected second surface. Some of the methods include overdosing a SAM molecule to form a SAM layer and SAM agglomerates, depositing a film, removing the agglomerates, reforming the SAM layer and redepositing the film.