The present disclosure describes a method for forming a silicon-based, carbon-rich, low-k ILD layer with a carbon concentration between about 15 atomic % and about 20 atomic %. For example, the method includes depositing a dielectric layer, over a substrate, with a dielectric material having a dielectric constant below 3.9 and a carbon atomic concentration between about 15% and about 20%; exposing the dielectric layer to a thermal process configured to outgas the dielectric material; etching the dielectric layer to form openings; and filling the openings with a conductive material to form conductive structures.

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes: providing a substrate comprising a surface; forming fins on the substrate; depositing a dummy gate electrode over the fins; forming a gate spacer surrounding the dummy gate electrode; forming lightly-doped source/drain (LDD) regions in the substrate on two sides of the gate spacer; performing a first treatment at a first temperature to repair defects in at least one of the dummy gate electrode, the gate spacer and the LDD region; forming source/drain regions in the respective LDD regions; removing the dummy gate electrode to form a replacement gate; depositing an inter-layer dielectric (ILD) layer over the replacement gate and the source/drain regions; and subsequent to the forming of the replacement gate, performing a second treatment at a second temperature, lower than the first temperature, to repair defects of the semiconductor device.

The present disclosure provides a method to enlarge the process window for forming a source/drain contact. The method may include receiving a workpiece that includes a source/drain feature exposed in a source/drain opening defined between two gate structures, conformally depositing a dielectric layer over sidewalls of the source/drain opening and a top surface of the source/drain feature, anisotropically etching the dielectric layer to expose the source/drain feature, performing an implantation process to the dielectric layer, and after the performing of the implantation process, performing a pre-clean process to the workpiece. The implantation process includes a non-zero tilt angle.

A connecting structure includes a first dielectric layer disposed over a substrate and a conductive feature, a doped dielectric layer disposed over the first dielectric layer, a first metal portion disposed in the first dielectric layer and in contact with the conductive feature, and a doped metal portion disposed over the first metal portion. The first metal portion and the doped metal portion include a same noble metal material. The doped dielectric layer and the doped metal portion include same dopants.

Small sized and closely pitched features can be formed by patterning a layer to have holes therein and then expanding the layer so that the holes shrink. If the expansion is sufficient to pinch off the respective holes, multiple holes can be formed from one larger hole. Holes smaller and of closer pitch than practical or possible may be obtained in this way. One process for expanding the layer includes implanting a dopant species having a larger average atomic spacing than does the material of the layer.

The present disclosure relates to an integrated chip comprising a substrate. A first conductive wire is over the substrate. A second conductive wire is over the substrate and is adjacent to the first conductive wire. A first dielectric cap is laterally between the first conductive wire and the second conductive wire. The first dielectric cap laterally separates the first conductive wire from the second conductive wire. The first dielectric cap includes a first dielectric material. A first cavity is directly below the first dielectric cap and is laterally between the first conductive wire and the second conductive wire. The first cavity is defined by one or more surfaces of the first dielectric cap.

A device comprises a source/drain contact over a source/drain region of a transistor, an etch stop layer above the source/drain contact, an interlayer dielectric (ILD) layer above the etch stop layer, and a source/drain via extending through the ILD layer and the etch stop layer to the source/drain contact. The etch stop layer has an oxidized region in contact with the source/drain via and separated from the source/drain contact.

A semiconductor structure includes a fin structure formed over a substrate. The structure also includes a gate structure formed across the fin structure. The structure also includes source/drain epitaxial structures formed on opposite sides of the gate structure. The structure also includes an inter-layer dielectric (ILD) structure formed over the gate structure. The structure also includes a contact blocking structure formed through the ILD structure over the source/drain epitaxial structure. A lower portion of the contact blocking structure is surrounded by an air gap, and the air gap is covered by a portion of the ILD structure.

Semiconductor device structure and methods of forming the same are described. The structure includes a first dielectric layer including a first portion disposed over a source/drain region in an active region of a substrate and a modulation portion over an interlayer dielectric (ILD) in a resistor region of the substrate, the first portion of the first dielectric layer has a first composition, and the modulation portion of the first dielectric layer has a second composition different from the first composition. The structure further includes a resistor layer disposed on the modulation portion of the first dielectric layer in the resistor region and a second dielectric layer disposed over the first dielectric layer in the active region and over the resistor layer in the resistor region.

A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate having a first main surface and a metal structure above the first main surface. The metal structure has a periphery region that includes a transition section along which the metal structure transitions from a first thickness to a second thickness less than the first thickness. A polymer-based insulating material contacts and covers at least the periphery region of the metal structure. A thickness of the polymer-based insulating material begins to increase on a first main surface of the metal structure that faces away from the semiconductor substrate and continues to increase in a direction towards the transition section. An average slope of a surface of the polymer-based insulating material which faces away from the semiconductor substrate, as measured with respect to the first main surface of the metal structure, is less than 60 degrees along the periphery region of the metal structure.