A method for forming an interconnect structure in an element is disclosed. The method can include patterning a cavity in a non-conductive material. The method can include exposing a surface of the cavity in the non-conductive material to a surface nitriding treatment. The method can include depositing a conductive material directly onto the treated surface after the exposing.

To provide a semiconductor device that has barrier metal and has a small variation in a threshold voltage. A semiconductor device is provided, including a semiconductor substrate, an interlayer dielectric film arranged on an upper surface of the semiconductor substrate, a titanium layer provided on the interlayer dielectric film, and a titanium nitride layer provided on the titanium layer, where the interlayer dielectric film is provided with an opening that exposes a part of the upper surface of the semiconductor substrate, the titanium layer and the titanium nitride layer are also provided within the opening, and the titanium layer arranged in contact with the semiconductor substrate and on a bottom portion of the opening is entirely titanium-silicided.

Methods and apparatus for processing a substrate are provided herein. For example, a method can include depositing a first metal layer on a substrate and etching the first metal layer to form a gate electrode, depositing a dielectric layer atop the gate electrode, depositing a semi-conductive oxide layer atop the dielectric layer to cover a portion of the gate electrode, etching the dielectric layer from a portion of the gate electrode that is not covered by the semi-conductive oxide layer to form a gate access via, and depositing a second metal layer atop the dielectric layer and the semi-conductive oxide layer, and within the gate access via.

A semiconductor device having favorable electrical characteristics is provided. The semiconductor device is manufactured by a first step of forming a semiconductor layer containing a metal oxide, a second step of forming a first insulating layer, a third step of forming a first conductive film over the first insulating layer, a fourth step of etching part of the first conductive film to form a first conductive layer, thereby forming a first region over the semiconductor layer that overlaps with the first conductive layer and a second region over the semiconductor layer that does not overlap with the first conductive layer, and a fifth step of performing first treatment on the conductive layer. The first treatment is plasma treatment in an atmosphere including a mixed gas of a first gas containing an oxygen element but not containing a hydrogen element, and a second gas containing a hydrogen element but not containing an oxygen element.

A package structure includes an insulating encapsulation, at least one semiconductor die, a redistribution circuit structure, and first reinforcement structures. The at least one semiconductor die is encapsulated in the insulating encapsulation. The redistribution circuit structure is located on the insulating encapsulation and electrically connected to the at least one semiconductor die. The first reinforcement structures are embedded in the redistribution circuit structure. A shape of the package structure includes a polygonal shape on a vertical projection along a stacking direction of the insulating encapsulation and the redistribution circuit structure, and the first reinforcement structures are located on and extended along diagonal lines of the package structure.

Methods and materials for growing TMD materials on substrates and making semiconductor devices are described. Metal contacts may be created prior to conducting a deposition process such as chemical vapor deposition (CVD) to grow a TMD material, such that the metal contacts serve as the seed/catalyst for TMD material growth. A method of making a semiconductor device may include conducting a lift-off lithography process on a substrate to produce a substrate having metal contacts deposited thereon in lithographically defined areas, and then growing a TMD material on the substrate by a deposition process to make a semiconductor device. Further described are semiconductor devices having a substrate with metal contacts deposited thereon in lithographically defined areas, and a TMD material on the substrate, where the TMD material is a continuous, substantially uniform monolayer film between and on the metal contacts, where the metal contacts are chemically bonded to the TMD material.

A method of fabricating a semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) is disclosed. A first conductive feature and a second conductive feature are provided. A first hard mask (HM) is formed on the first conductive feature. A patterned dielectric layer is formed over the first and the second conductive features, with first openings to expose the second conductive features. A first metal plug is formed in the first opening to contact the second conductive features. A second HM is formed on the first metal plugs and another patterned dielectric layer is formed over the substrate, with second openings to expose a subset of the first metal plugs and the first conductive features. A second metal plug is formed in the second openings.

A semiconductor device includes a substrate, a first conductive feature over a portion of the substrate, and an etch stop layer over the substrate and the first conductive feature. The etch stop layer includes a silicon-containing dielectric (SCD) layer and a metal-containing dielectric (MCD) layer over the SCD layer. The semiconductor device further includes a dielectric layer over the etch stop layer, and a second conductive feature in the dielectric layer. The second conductive feature penetrates the etch stop layer and electrically connects to the first conductive feature.

A semiconductor device includes thin film transistors each having an oxide semiconductor. The oxide semiconductor has a channel region, a drain region, a source region, and low concentration regions which are lower in impurity concentration than the drain region and the source region. The low concentration regions are located between the channel region and the drain region, and between the channel region and the source region. Each of the thin film transistors has a gate insulating film on the channel region and the low concentration regions, an aluminum oxide film on a first part of the gate insulating film, the first part being located on the channel region, and a gate electrode on the aluminum oxide film and a second part of the gate insulating film, the second part being located on the low concentration regions.

A semiconductor device includes thin film transistors each having an oxide semiconductor. The oxide semiconductor has a channel region, a drain region, a source region, and low concentration regions which are lower in impurity concentration than the drain region and the source region. The low concentration regions are located between the channel region and the drain region, and between the channel region and the source region. Each of the thin film transistors has a gate insulating film on the channel region and the low concentration regions, an aluminum oxide film on a first part of the gate insulating film, the first part being located on the channel region, and a gate electrode on the aluminum oxide film and a second part of the gate insulating film, the second part being located on the low concentration regions.