In an embodiment, a device includes: a semiconductor substrate; a first inter-layer dielectric (ILD) over the semiconductor substrate; a first conductive feature extending through the first ILD; a first etch stop layer over the first conductive feature and the first ILD, the first etch stop layer being a first dielectric material; a second ILD over the first etch stop layer; a contact having a first portion extending through the second ILD and a second portion extending through the first etch stop layer, the contact being physically and electrically coupled to the first conductive feature; and a first protective layer surrounding the second portion of the contact, the first portion of the contact being free from the first protective layer, the first protective layer being a second dielectric material, the second dielectric material being different from the first dielectric material.

A semiconductor device according to some embodiments of the disclosure may include a fin type active pattern extending in a first direction, a plurality of gate structures on the fin type active pattern and extending in a second direction different from the first direction, a plurality of inter-contact insulation patterns on respective ones of the plurality of gate structures, a plurality of interlayer insulation layers on side surfaces of the plurality of gate structures, and a plurality of contact plugs respectively between pairs of the plurality of gate structures. The fin type active pattern may include a plurality of source/drains. Lower ends of the plurality of contact plugs may contact the plurality of source/drains. The plurality of gate structures may each include a first gate metal, a second gate metal, a gate capping layer, a gate insulation layer, a first spacer, and a second spacer.

In an embodiment, a method includes: forming a fin extending from a substrate; forming a first gate mask over the fin, the first gate mask having a first width; forming a second gate mask over the fin, the second gate mask having a second width, the second width being greater than the first width; depositing a first filling layer over the first gate mask and the second gate mask; depositing a second filling layer over the first filling layer; planarizing the second filling layer with a chemical mechanical polish (CMP) process, the CMP process being performed until the first filling layer is exposed; and planarizing the first filling layer and remaining portions of the second filling layer with an etch-back process, the etch-back process etching materials of the first filling layer, the second filling layer, the first gate mask, and the second gate mask at the same rate.

A method includes depositing a first conductive layer over a gate dielectric layer; depositing a first work function tuning layer over the first conductive layer; selectively removing the first work function tuning layer from over a first region of the first conductive layer; doping the first work function tuning layer with a dopant; and after doping the first work function tuning layer performing a first treatment process to etch the first region of the first conductive layer and a second region of the first work function tuning layer. The first treatment process etches the first conductive layer at a greater rate than the first work function tuning layer.

In some embodiments, the present disclosure relates to an integrated chip that includes a first nanosheet field effect transistor (NSFET). The first NSFET includes a first nanosheet channel structure arranged over a substrate, a second nanosheet channel structure arranged directly over the first nanosheet channel structure, and a first gate electrode structure. The first and second nanosheet channel structures extend in parallel between first and second source/drain regions. The first gate electrode structure includes a first conductive ring and a second conductive ring that completely surround outer sidewalls of the first nanosheet channel structure and the second nanosheet channel structure, respectively, and that comprise a first material. The first gate electrode structure also includes a passivation layer that completely surrounds the first and second conductive rings, is arranged directly between the first and second nanosheet channel structures, and comprises a second material different than the first material.

A device includes a substrate, gate stacks, source/drain (S/D) features over the substrate, S/D contacts over the S/D features, and one or more dielectric layers over the gate stacks and the S/D contacts. A via structure penetrates the one or more dielectric layers and electrically contacts one of the gate stacks and the S/D contacts. And a ferroelectric (FE) stack is over the via structure and directly contacting the via structure, wherein the FE stack includes an FE feature and a top electrode over the FE feature.

A method includes forming isolation regions extending into a semiconductor substrate, and forming a first plurality of protruding fins and a second protruding fin over the isolation regions. The first plurality of protruding fins include an outer fin farthest from the second protruding fin, and an inner fin closest to the second protruding fin. The method further includes etching the first plurality of protruding fins to form first recesses, growing first epitaxy regions from the first recesses, wherein the first epitaxy regions are merged to form a merged epitaxy region, etching the second protruding fin to form a second recess, and growing a second epitaxy region from the second recess. A top surface of the merged epitaxy region is lower on a side facing toward the second epitaxy region than on a side facing away from the second epitaxy region.

A semiconductor device including a substrate having a central region and a peripheral region; an integrated circuit structure on the central region; and a first structure on the peripheral region and surrounding the central region, wherein a portion of the first structure includes a first fin structure defined by a device isolation region in the substrate; a first dielectric layer covering an upper surface and side surfaces of the first fin structure and an upper surface of the device isolation region; a first gate structure on the first fin structure, the first gate structure including a first gate conductive layer, a first gate dielectric layer covering lower and side surfaces of the first gate conductive layer, and first gate spacer layers on side walls of the first gate conductive layer; and a first insulating structure covering the first dielectric layer and the first gate structure.

Described herein are integrated circuit (IC) devices that include devices that include fin-based field-effect transistors (FinFETs) integrated over gate-all-around (GAA) transistors. The GAA transistors may serve to provide high-performance compute logic, and may be relatively low-voltage transistors, while FinFETs may be more suitable than GAA transistors for providing high-voltage transistors, and, therefore, may serve to provide peripheral logic for backend memory arrays implemented over the same support structure over which the GAA transistors and the FinFETs are provided. Such an arrangement may address the fundamental voltage incompatibility by integrating a mix of FinFETs and GAA transistors in stacked complimentary FET (CFET) architecture to enable embedded 1T-1X based memories.

Gate-all-around integrated circuit structures having confined epitaxial source or drain structures, are described. For example, an integrated circuit structure includes a plurality of nanowires above a sub-fin. A gate stack is over the plurality of nanowires and the sub-fin. Epitaxial source or drain structures are on opposite ends of the plurality of nanowires. The epitaxial source or drain structures comprise i) a first PMOS epitaxial (pEPI) region of germanium and boron, ii) a second pEPI region of silicon, germanium and boron on the first pEPI region at a contact location, iii) a capping layer comprising silicon over the second pEPI region. A conductive contact material comprising titanium is on the capping layer.