A method for processing a substrate includes performing a cyclic plasma process including a plurality of cycles, each cycle of the plurality of cycles including purging a plasma processing chamber including the substrate with a first deposition gas including carbon. The substrate includes a first layer including silicon and a second layer including a metal oxide. The method further includes exposing the substrate to a first plasma generated from the first deposition gas to selectively deposit a first polymeric film over the first layer relative to the second layer; purging the plasma processing chamber with an etch gas including fluorine; and exposing the substrate to a second plasma generated from the etch gas to etch the second layer.

A semiconductor device includes a gate electrode, a source/drain structure, a lower contact contacting either of the gate electrode or the source/drain structure, and an upper contact disposed in an opening formed in an interlayer dielectric (ILD) layer and in direct contact with the lower contact. The upper contact is in direct contact with the ILD layer without an interposing conductive barrier layer, and the upper contact includes ruthenium.

An embodiment is a method including forming a first interconnect structure over a first substrate, the first interconnect structure comprising dielectric layers and metallization patterns therein, patterning the first interconnect structure to form a first opening, coating the first opening with a barrier layer, etching a second opening through the barrier layer and the exposed portion of the first substrate, depositing a liner in the first opening and the second opening, filling the first opening and the second opening with a conductive material, and thinning the first substrate to expose a portion of the conductive material in the second opening, the conductive material extending through the first interconnect structure and the first substrate forming a through substrate via.

Methods of depositing a metal film are discussed. A metal film is formed on the bottom of feature having a metal bottom and dielectric sidewalls. Formation of the metal film comprises exposure to a metal precursor and an alkyl halide catalyst while the substrate is maintained at a deposition temperature. The metal precursor has a decomposition temperature above the deposition temperature. The alkyl halide comprises carbon and halogen, and the halogen comprises bromine or iodine.

A nitrogen plasma treatment is used on an adhesion layer of a contact plug. As a result of the nitrogen plasma treatment, nitrogen is incorporated into the adhesion layer. When a contact plug is deposited in the opening, an interlayer of a metal nitride is formed between the contact plug and the adhesion layer. A nitrogen plasma treatment is used on an opening in an insulating layer. As a result of the nitrogen plasma treatment, nitrogen is incorporated into the insulating layer at the opening. When a contact plug is deposited in the opening, an interlayer of a metal nitride is formed between the contact plug and the insulating layer.

Methods of forming and processing semiconductor devices which utilize the selective etching of aluminum oxide over silicon oxide, silicon nitride, aluminum oxide or zirconium oxide are described. Certain embodiments relate to the formation of self-aligned contacts for metal gate applications.

The present disclosure provides a method of manufacturing a semiconductor structure. The method includes: receiving a substrate; forming a bit line structure on a top surface of the substrate; forming a spacer structure on the bit line structure, the spacer structure including a sacrificial layer sandwiched by a first dielectric layer and a second dielectric layer; removing the sacrificial layer to form a gap between the first dielectric layer and the second dielectric layer; reducing a width of the gap; and forming a seal layer to seal the gap.

Methods of forming a semiconductor device structure are described. In some embodiments, the method includes forming an interconnect structure over a substrate. The forming the interconnect structure over the semiconductor device structure includes forming a dielectric layer, then performing an annealing process, then forming one or more openings in the dielectric layer, then performing a first ultraviolet (UV) curing process, and then forming conductive features in the one or more openings.

The present disclosure provides an integrated circuit (IC) structure. The IC structure includes a semiconductor substrate; an interconnection structure formed on the semiconductor substrate; and a redistribution layer (RDL) metallic feature formed on the interconnection structure. The RDL metallic feature further includes a barrier layer disposed on the interconnection structure; a diffusion layer disposed on the barrier layer, wherein the diffusion layer includes metal and oxygen; and a metallic layer disposed on the diffusion layer.

A semiconductor device manufacturing method of forming a trench and a via in a porous low dielectric constant film formed on a substrate as an interlayer insulating film, includes: embedding a polymer having a urea bond in pores of the porous low dielectric constant film by supplying a raw material for polymerization to the porous low dielectric constant film; forming the via by etching the porous low dielectric constant film; subsequently, embedding a protective filling material made of an organic substance in the via; subsequently, forming the trench by etching the porous low dielectric constant film; subsequently, removing the protective filling material; and after the forming a trench, removing the polymer from the pores of the porous low dielectric constant film by heating the substrate to depolymerize the polymer, wherein the embedding a polymer having a urea bond in pores is performed before the forming a trench.