Semiconductor devices and methods of forming the same are provided. The semiconductor devices may include a first fin-type pattern and a second fin-type pattern on a substrate, a first epitaxial pattern on the first fin-type pattern, a second epitaxial pattern on the second fin-type pattern, and a lower field insulating film on the substrate and extends on a sidewall of the first fin-type pattern and a sidewall of the second fin-type pattern, wherein the lower field insulating film includes a protrusion protruding in a third direction. The protrusion of the lower field insulating film may be between the first fin-type pattern and the second fin-type pattern, and a vertical level of a top surface of the protrusion of the lower field insulating film increases and then decreases with increasing distance from the sidewall of the first fin-type pattern.

An approach for creating a buried local interconnect around a DDB (double diffusion break) to reduce parasitic capacitance on a semiconductor device is disclosed. The approach utilizes a metal, as the local interconnect, buried in a cavity around the DDB region of a semiconductor substrate. The metal is disposed by two dielectric layers and the substrate. The two dielectric layers are recessed beneath two gate spacers. The buried local interconnect is recessed into the cavity where the top surface of the interconnect is situated below the top surface of the surrounding S/D (source/drain) epi (epitaxy). The metal of the local interconnect can be made from W, Ru or Co.

A semiconductor device includes: a semiconductor substrate including a first surface and a second surface facing each other and including a first semiconductor material; a plurality of fin structures upwardly extending on the first surface of the semiconductor substrate, spaced apart from each other by a plurality of trenches, and including the first semiconductor material as the semiconductor substrate; an insulating layer on the first surface of the semiconductor substrate filling at least a portion of the plurality of trenches; a gate electrode layer between the plurality of fin structures and surrounded by the insulating layer; a first conductive layer covering the plurality of fin structures; a second conductive layer on the second surface of the semiconductor substrate; and a shield layer between the gate electrode layer and the semiconductor substrate, surrounded by the insulating layer, and electrically connected to the second conductive layer.

In a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, first and second gate structures are formed. The first (second) gate structure includes a first (second) gate electrode layer and first (second) sidewall spacers disposed on both side faces of the first (second) gate electrode layer. The first and second gate electrode layers are recessed and the first and second sidewall spacers are recessed, thereby forming a first space and a second space over the recessed first and second gate electrode layers and first and second sidewall spacers, respectively. First and second protective layers are formed in the first and second spaces, respectively. First and second etch-stop layers are formed on the first and second protective layers, respectively. A first depth of the first space above the first sidewall spacers is different from a second depth of the first space above the first gate electrode layer.

One illustrative IC product disclosed herein includes first and second final gate structures and an insulating gate separation structure positioned between the first and second final gate structures. In one embodiment, the insulating gate separation structure has a stepped bottom surface with a substantially horizontally oriented bottom central surface that is surrounded by a substantially horizontally oriented recessed surface, wherein the substantially horizontally oriented bottom central surface is positioned a first level above the substrate and the substantially horizontally oriented recessed surface is positioned at a second level above the substrate, wherein the second level is greater than the first level.

A semiconductor device includes a substrate, a first semiconductor fin, a second semiconductor fin, a gate structure, a plurality of source/drain structures, a shallow trench isolation (STI) oxide, and a dielectric layer. The first semiconductor fin extends upwardly from the substrate. The second semiconductor fin extends upwardly from the substrate. The gate structure extends across the first and second semiconductor fins. The source/drain structures are on the first and second semiconductor fins. The STI oxide extends continuously between the first and second semiconductor fins and has a U-shaped profile when viewed in a cross section taken along a lengthwise direction of the gate structure. The dielectric layer is partially embedded in the STI oxide and has a U-shaped profile when viewed in the cross section taken along the lengthwise direction of the gate structure.

Embodiments of the disclosure are in the field of advanced integrated circuit structure fabrication and, in particular, integrated circuit structures having channel structures with sub-fin dopant diffusion blocking layers are described. In an example, an integrated circuit structure includes a fin having a lower fin portion and an upper fin portion. The lower fin portion includes a dopant diffusion blocking layer on a first semiconductor layer doped to a first conductivity type. The upper fin portion includes a portion of a second semiconductor layer, the second semiconductor layer on the dopant diffusion blocking layer. An isolation structure is along sidewalls of the lower fin portion. A gate stack is over a top of and along sidewalls of the upper fin portion, the gate stack having a first side opposite a second side. A first source or drain structure at the first side of the gate stack.

A device includes a fin extending from a substrate, a gate stack over and along sidewalls of the fin, a gate spacer along a sidewall of the gate stack, and an epitaxial source/drain region in the fin and adjacent the gate spacer. The epitaxial source/drain region includes a first epitaxial layer on the fin, the first epitaxial layer including silicon, germanium, and arsenic, and a second epitaxial layer on the first epitaxial layer, the second epitaxial layer including silicon and phosphorus, the first epitaxial layer separating the second epitaxial layer from the fin. The epitaxial source/drain region further includes a third epitaxial layer on the second epitaxial layer, the third epitaxial layer including silicon, germanium, and phosphorus.

The present disclosure provides a semiconductor structure and a method for forming a semiconductor structure. The method for forming a semiconductor structure includes forming a semiconductor stack over a substrate, wherein the semiconductor stack includes a plurality of first semiconductor layers and a plurality of second semiconductor layers alternatively stacked, patterning the semiconductor stack to form a first fin and a second fin adjacent to the first fin, and removing the second semiconductor layers to obtain a first group of nanosheets over the first fin and a second group of nanosheets over the second fin, wherein a lateral spacing between one of the nanosheets in the first group and a corresponding nanosheet in the second group is smaller than a vertical spacing between each of the nanosheets in the first group.

A semiconductor device with an isolation structure and a method of fabricating the same are disclosed. The semiconductor device includes first and second fin structures disposed on a substrate and first and second pairs of gate structures disposed on the first and second fin structures. The first end surfaces of the first pair of gate structures face second end surfaces of the second pair of gate structure. The first and second end surfaces of the first and second pair of gate structures are in physical contact with first and second sidewalls of the isolation structure, respectively. The semiconductor device further includes an isolation structure interposed between the first and second pairs of gate structures. An aspect ratio of the isolation structure is smaller than a combined aspect ratio of the first pair of gate structures.