Disclosed is a method of forming a semiconductor device. The method includes providing a precursor having a substrate and protrusions over the substrate. The protrusions are interposed by trenches. The method further includes depositing a first dielectric layer over the protrusions and filling the trenches. The first dielectric layer has a first hardness. The method further includes treating the first dielectric layer with an oxidizer. The method further includes performing a chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) process to the first dielectric layer.

In an embodiment, a device includes: a gate structure over a substrate; a gate spacer adjacent the gate structure; a source/drain region adjacent the gate spacer; a first inter-layer dielectric (ILD) on the source/drain region, the first ILD having a first concentration of an impurity; and a second ILD on the first ILD, the second ILD having a second concentration of the impurity, the second concentration being less than the first concentration, top surfaces of the second ILD, the gate spacer, and the gate structure being coplanar; and a source/drain contact extending through the second ILD and the first ILD, the source/drain contact coupled to the source/drain region.

A method of forming a high-κ dielectric cap layer on a semiconductor structure formed on a substrate includes depositing the high-κ dielectric cap layer on the semiconductor structure, depositing a sacrificial silicon cap layer on the high-κ dielectric cap layer, performing a post cap anneal process to harden and densify the as-deposited high-κ dielectric cap layer, and removing the sacrificial silicon cap layer.

The field-effect mobility and reliability of a transistor including an oxide semiconductor film are improved. Provided is a semiconductor device including an oxide semiconductor film. The semiconductor device includes a first insulating film, an oxide semiconductor film over the first insulating film, a second insulating film and a third insulating film over the oxide semiconductor film, and a gate electrode over the second insulating film. The second insulating film comprises a silicon oxynitride film. When excess oxygen is added to the second insulating film by oxygen plasma treatment, oxygen can be efficiently supplied to the oxide semiconductor film.

A semiconductor device which has favorable electrical characteristics is provided. A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device with high productivity is provided. A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device with a high yield is provided. A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device includes a first step of forming a first insulating layer containing silicon and nitrogen, a second step of adding oxygen in a vicinity of a surface of the first insulating layer, a third step of forming a semiconductor layer containing a metal oxide over and in contact with the first insulating layer, a fourth step of forming a second insulating layer containing oxygen over and in contact with the semiconductor layer, a fifth step of performing plasma treatment in an atmosphere containing oxygen at a first temperature, a sixth step of performing plasma treatment in an atmosphere containing oxygen at a second temperature lower than the first temperature, and a seventh step of forming a third insulating layer containing silicon and nitrogen over the second insulating layer.

The present disclosure is generally related to semiconductor devices, and more particularly to a dielectric material formed in semiconductor devices. The present disclosure provides methods for forming a dielectric material layer by a cyclic spin-on coating process. In an embodiment, a method of forming a dielectric material on a substrate includes spin-coating a first portion of a dielectric material on a substrate, curing the first portion of the dielectric material on the substrate, spin-coating a second portion of the dielectric material on the substrate, and thermal annealing the dielectric material to form an annealed dielectric material on the substrate.

There is provided a technique of forming an insulating film containing silicon oxide. A coating solution containing polysilazane is applied onto a wafer W, the solvent of the coating solution is volatilized, and the coating film is irradiated with ultraviolet rays in nitrogen atmosphere before performing a curing process. Dangling bonds are generated in silicon which is a pre-hydrolyzed site in polysilazane. Therefore, the energy for hydrolysis is reduced, and unhydrolyzed sites are reduced even when the temperature of the curing process is 350° C. Since efficient dehydration condensation occurs, the crosslinking rate is improved, and a dense (good-quality) insulation film is formed. By forming a protective film on the surface of the coating film to which ultraviolet rays irradiated, the reaction of dangling bonds prior to the curing process is suppressed.

The field-effect mobility and reliability of a transistor including an oxide semiconductor film are improved. Provided is a semiconductor device including an oxide semiconductor film. The semiconductor device includes a first insulating film, an oxide semiconductor film over the first insulating film, a second insulating film and a third insulating film over the oxide semiconductor film, and a gate electrode over the second insulating film. The second insulating film comprises a silicon oxynitride film. When excess oxygen is added to the second insulating film by oxygen plasma treatment, oxygen can be efficiently supplied to the oxide semiconductor film.

A method of forming a high-K dielectric cap layer on a semiconductor structure formed on a substrate includes depositing the high-K dielectric cap layer on the semiconductor structure, depositing a sacrificial silicon cap layer on the high-K dielectric cap layer, performing a post cap anneal process to harden and densify the as-deposited high-K dielectric cap layer, and removing the sacrificial silicon cap layer.

A method of forming an organic film according to one embodiment, includes: forming an organic film on a substrate with a pattern forming material; patterning the organic film to form a patterned film; and supplying a precursor of a metallic compound to the patterned film to form a mask pattern. The material contains a polymer having a side chain including an unshared electron pair and a group having oxidation activity to the precursor. The group includes at least one group selected the group consisting of a carboxyl group, a hydroxyl group, a sulfo group, and a nitro group. An average number of the group per monomer unit is 0.3 or more. The metallic compound contains a metal with an atomic number of 22 or more in group 3 elements to group 13 elements.