A method of making a semiconductor structure includes depositing a first passivation material between adjacent conductive elements on a substrate, wherein a bottommost surface of the first passivation material is coplanar with a bottommost surface of each of the adjacent conductive elements. The method further includes depositing a second passivation material on the substrate, wherein the second passivation material contacts a sidewall of each of the adjacent conductive elements and a sidewall of the first passivation material, a bottommost surface of the second passivation material is coplanar with the bottommost surface of each of the adjacent conductive elements, and the second passivation material is different from the first passivation material.

A semiconductor interconnect structure and its manufacturing method are presented. The manufacturing method includes: providing a substrate structure, wherein the substrate structure comprises: a substrate; a first metal layer on the substrate; a dielectric layer on the substrate, wherein the dielectric layer covers the first metal layer, and wherein the dielectric layer has a hole extending to the first metal layer; and a hard mask layer on the dielectric layer; removing the hard mask layer on the dielectric layer; selectively depositing a second metal layer at the bottom of the hole; and depositing a third metal layer, wherein the third metal layer fills the hole.

This semiconductor interconnect structure provides improved reliability over conventional structures.

A method of fabricating a metallization layer of a semiconductor device in which copper is used for an interconnect material and cobalt is used to encapsulate the copper. A material is introduced that will interact with the cobalt to cause a hexagonal-close-packed (HCP) crystal structure of cobalt to change to a face-centered-cubic (FCC) crystal structure of cobalt, the FCC crystal structure providing a resistance of the cobalt to migrate.

A method of concurrently forming source/drain contacts (CAs) and gate contacts (CBs) and device are provided. Embodiments include forming metal gates (PC) and source/drain (S/D) regions over a substrate; forming an ILD over the PCs and S/D regions; forming a mask over the ILD; concurrently patterning the mask for formation of CAs adjacent a first portion of each PC and CBs over a second portion of the PCs; etching through the mask, forming trenches extending through the ILD down to a nitride capping layer formed over each PC and a trench silicide (TS) contact formed over each S/D region; selectively growing a metal capping layer over the TS contacts formed over the S/D regions; removing the nitride capping layer from the second portion of each PC; and metal filling the trenches, forming the CAs and CBs.

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 method includes bonding a die to a substrate, where the substrate has a first redistribution structure, the die has a second redistribution structure, and the first redistribution structure is bonded to the second redistribution structure. A first isolation material is formed over the substrate and around the die. A first conductive via is formed, extending from a first surface of the substrate, where the first surface is opposite the second redistribution structure, the first conductive via contacting a first conductive element in the second redistribution structure. Forming the first conductive via includes patterning an opening in the substrate, extending the opening to expose the first conductive element, where extending the opening includes using a portion of a second conductive element in the first redistribution structure as an etch mask, and filling the opening with a conductive material.

Semiconductor structures having a source contact and a drain contact that exhibit reduced contact resistance and methods of forming the same are disclosed. In one embodiment of the present application, the reduced contact resistance is provided by forming a layer of a dipole metal or metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) oxide between an epitaxial semiconductor material (providing the source region and the drain region of the device) and an overlying metal semiconductor alloy. In yet other embodiment, the reduced contact resistance is provided by increasing the area of the source region and drain region by patterning the epitaxial semiconductor material that constitutes at least an upper portion of the source region and drain region of the device.

A method for fabricating a semiconductor device is provided. A substrate having a dummy gate thereon is prepared. A spacer is disposed on a sidewall of the dummy gate. A source/drain region is disposed adjacent to the dummy gate. A sacrificial layer is then formed on the source/drain region. A cap layer is then formed on the sacrificial layer. A top surface of the cap layer is coplanar with a top surface of the dummy gate. A replacement metal gate (RMG) process is performed to transform the dummy gate into a replacement metal gate. An opening is then formed in the cap layer to expose a top surface of the sacrificial layer. The sacrificial layer is removed through the opening, thereby forming a lower contact hole exposing a top surface of the source/drain region. A lower contact plug is then formed in the lower contact hole.

A method for manufacturing an interconnect structure includes providing a substrate structure including a substrate, a first metal layer on the substrate, a dielectric layer on the substrate and covering the first metal layer, and an opening extending to the first metal layer; forming a first barrier layer on a bottom and sidewalls of the opening with a first substrate bias; forming a second barrier layer on the first barrier layer with a second substrate bias, the second substrate bias being greater than the first substrate bias, the first and second barrier layers forming collectively a barrier layer; removing a portion of the barrier layer on the bottom and on the sidewalls of the opening by bombarding the barrier layer with a plasma with a vertical substrate bias; and forming a second metal layer filling the opening.

Semiconductor devices and fabrication methods thereof are provided. An exemplary fabrication method includes forming an interlayer dielectric layer on a base substrate; forming a plurality of first openings and second openings in the interlayer dielectric layer, one first opening connecting to a second opening, the one first opening being between the second opening and the base substrate; forming a high-K gate dielectric layer on side and bottom surfaces of the first openings and on side surfaces of the second openings; forming a cap layer, containing oxygen ions, on the high-K gate dielectric layer; forming an amorphous silicon layer on the cap layer at least on the bottoms of the first openings; performing a thermal annealing process on the amorphous silicon layer, the cap layer and the high-K dielectric; removing the amorphous silicon layer; and forming a metal layer, in the first openings and the second openings.