A method for manufacturing a semiconductor product is provided. The method comprises forming a semiconductor device within a wafer utilizing a predetermined number of masks. The method further comprises forming a first low-leakage semiconductor device within the wafer utilizing a first set of additional masks. The first low-leakage semiconductor device has a lower leakage current than that of the semiconductor device.

A semiconductor device and a method for manufacturing same are provided. A semiconductor device includes: an active area located in a semiconductor substrate and including a central area and a peripheral area surrounding the central area; a first strained layer formed in the peripheral area in an embedded manner, and including at least a first sub-portion, a second sub-portion, a third sub-portion, and a fourth sub-portion, where the first sub-portion and the third sub-portion are separately arranged on two sides of the central area in first direction, and the second sub-portion and the fourth sub-portion are separately arranged on the other two sides of the central area in second direction; and a gate located on the active area, extending in a first direction and covering at least a part of the central area, at least a part of the first sub-portion, and at least a part of the third sub-portion.

A method for making a semiconductor device may include forming a semiconductor layer, and forming a superlattice adjacent the semiconductor layer and including stacked groups of layers. Each group of layers may include stacked base semiconductor monolayers defining a base semiconductor portion, and at least one oxygen monolayer constrained within a crystal lattice of adjacent base semiconductor portions. The at least one oxygen monolayer of a given group of layers may comprise an atomic percentage of .sup.18O greater than 10 percent.

A semiconductor device may include a semiconductor layer, and a superlattice adjacent the semiconductor layer and including stacked groups of layers. Each group of layers may include stacked base semiconductor monolayers defining a base semiconductor portion, and at least one oxygen monolayer constrained within a crystal lattice of adjacent base semiconductor portions. The at least one oxygen monolayer of a given group of layers may include an atomic percentage of .sup.18O greater than 10 percent.

An upper surface of a plug (PL1) is formed so as to be higher than an upper surface of an interlayer insulating film (PIL) by forming the interlayer insulating film (PIL) on a semiconductor substrate (1S), completing a CMP method for forming the plug (PL1) inside the interlayer insulating film (PIL), and then, making the upper surface of the interlayer insulating film (PIL) to recede. In this manner, reliability of connection between the plug (PL1) and a wiring (W1) in a vertical direction can be ensured. Also, the wiring (W1) can be formed so as not to be embedded inside the interlayer insulating film (PIL), or a formed amount by the embedding can be reduced.

A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate, a first gate oxide layer, and a first source/drain doped region. The first gate oxide layer is disposed on the semiconductor substrate, and the first gate oxide layer includes a main portion and an edge portion having a sloping sidewall. The first source/drain doped region is disposed in the semiconductor substrate and located adjacent to the edge portion of the first gate oxide layer. The first source/drain doped region includes a first portion and a second portion. The first portion is disposed under the edge portion of the first gate oxide layer in a vertical direction, and the second portion is connected with the first portion.

A method includes: providing a substrate; forming a first pair of source/drain regions in the substrate; disposing an interlayer dielectric layer over the substrate, the interlayer dielectric layer having a first trench between the first pair of source/drain regions; depositing a dielectric layer in the first trench; depositing a barrier layer over the dielectric layer; performing an operation on the substrate; removing the barrier layer from the first trench to expose the dielectric layer subsequent to the operation; and depositing a work function layer over the dielectric layer in the first trench.

An upper surface of a plug (PL1) is formed so as to be higher than an upper surface of an interlayer insulating film (PIL) by forming the interlayer insulating film (PIL) on a semiconductor substrate (1S), completing a CMP method for forming the plug (PL1) inside the interlayer insulating film (PIL), and then, making the upper surface of the interlayer insulating film (PIL) to recede. In this manner, reliability of connection between the plug (PL1) and a wiring (W1) in a vertical direction can be ensured. Also, the wiring (W1) can be formed so as not to be embedded inside the interlayer insulating film (PIL), or a formed amount by the embedding can be reduced.

A method to form a transistor device with a recessed gate structure is provided. In one embodiment, a gate structure is formed overlying a device region and an isolation structure. The gate structure separates a device doping well along a first direction with a pair of recess regions disposed on opposite sides of the device region in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. A pair of source/drain regions in is formed the device region on opposite sides of the gate structure. A sidewall spacer is formed extending along sidewalls of the gate structure, where a top surface of the sidewall spacer is substantially flush with the top surface of the gate structure. A resistive protection layer is then formed on the sidewall spacer and covering the pair of recess regions.

A semiconductor device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes: a first low-permittivity region provided in a region that is between first metals in an in-plane direction of a semiconductor layer and below a lower surface of the first metal in a stacking direction of the semiconductor layer; and a second low-permittivity region provided in a region that is between a contact plug and the gate electrode in the in-plane direction and below the first low-permittivity region in the stacking direction. A planar region of the second low-permittivity region is at least partially different from that of the first low-permittivity region.