A method includes forming a semiconductor layer over a substrate; etching a portion of the semiconductor layer to form a first recess and a second recess; forming a first masking layer over the semiconductor layer; performing a first thermal treatment on the first masking layer, the first thermal treatment densifying the first masking layer; etching the first masking layer to expose the first recess; forming a first semiconductor material in the first recess; and removing the first masking layer.

A method for smoothing structures formed of curable materials on a semiconductor device includes applying a layer of photo-responsive material on a substrate. The photo-responsive material is exposed to ultraviolet light through a grayscale gradient mask. Subsequent to removing unwanted portions of the photo-responsive material, the photo-responsive material that remains on the substrate is cured. During the curing process, the temperature is increased from a starting temperature to a final cure temperature over a first time period that allows the photo-responsive material to cross-flow. The temperature of the photo-responsive material is maintained at approximately the final cure temperature for a second time period, and then the temperature of the photo-responsive material is decreased to a predetermined finish temperature over a third time period.

The present disclosure relates to a film formed with a tantalum-based precursor, as well as methods for forming and employing such films. The film can be employed as a photopatternable film or a radiation-sensitive film. In non-limiting embodiments, the radiation can include extreme ultraviolet (EUV) or deep ultraviolet (DUV) radiation.

The present application discloses a semiconductor device with a carbon hard mask. The semiconductor device includes a substrate, conductive layers positioned on the substrate, a carbon hard mask layer positioned on the conductive layers, an insulating layer including a lower portion and an upper portion, and a conductive via positioned along the upper portion of the insulating layer and the carbon hard mask layer and positioned on one of the adjacent pair of the conductive layers. The lower portion is positioned along the carbon hard mask layer and positioned between an adjacent pair of the conductive layers, and the upper portion is positioned on the lower portion and on the carbon hard mask layer.

According to one embodiment, an imprint method for a substrate having a plurality of shot regions includes performing a first process on each target shot region in the plurality of shot regions and performing a second process on a non-target shot region in the plurality of shot regions. The first process includes pressing a template against resin in the target shot region to transfer a pattern to the resin, curing the resin, and releasing the template from the cured resin while supplying inert gas towards the substrate from an outer edge side of the template. The second process includes causing the template to approach the non-target shot region without coming into contact with resin in the non-target shot region, and moving the template away from the resin in the non-target shot region while supplying inert gas towards the substrate from the outer edge side of the template.

The present disclosure describes a method for forming a silicon-based, carbon-rich, low-k ILD layer with a carbon concentration between about 15 atomic % and about 20 atomic %. For example, the method includes depositing a dielectric layer, over a substrate, with a dielectric material having a dielectric constant below 3.9 and a carbon atomic concentration between about 15% and about 20%; exposing the dielectric layer to a thermal process configured to outgas the dielectric material; etching the dielectric layer to form openings; and filling the openings with a conductive material to form conductive structures.

A composition useful in depositing low dielectric constant (low-k) insulating materials into high aspect ratio gaps, trenches, vias, and other surface features, of semiconductor devices by a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) process is disclosed. The composition may comprise an alkoxy-functionalized cyclosiloxane derived from trimethylcyclotrisiloxane, tetramethylcyclotetrasiloxane, or pentamethylcyclopentasiloxane. The alkoxy-functionalization may comprise between 1 and 10 carbon atoms. A method of depositing the alkoxy-functionalized cyclosiloxane composition by a PECVD process is also disclosed. Finally, a film comprising a flowable liquid, or oligomer, comprising the oligomerized, or polymerized, alkoxy-functionalized cyclosiloxane composition, on a substrate is disclosed.

A method of fabricating a dielectric film includes depositing a first precursor on a substrate. The first precursor includes a cyclic carbosiloxane group comprising a six-membered ring. The method also includes depositing a second precursor on the substrate. The first precursor and the second precursor form a preliminary film on the substrate, and the second precursor includes silicon, carbon, and hydrogen. The method further includes exposing the preliminary film to energy from an energy source to form a porous dielectric film.

Semiconductor processing methods are described for forming UV-treated, low-κ dielectric films. The methods may include flowing deposition precursors into a substrate processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber. The deposition precursors may include a silicon-and-carbon-containing precursor. The methods may further include generating a deposition plasma from the deposition precursors within the substrate processing region, and depositing a silicon-and-carbon-containing material on the substrate from plasma effluents of the deposition plasma. The as-deposited silicon-and-carbon-containing material may be characterized by greater than or about 5% hydrocarbon groups. The methods may still further include exposing the deposited silicon-and-carbon-containing material to ultraviolet light. The exposed silicon-and-carbon-containing material may be characterized by less than or about 2% hydrocarbon groups.

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming a light blocking film configured to block first light within a first wavelength band on an edge region of an upper surface of a light-transmitting carrier substrate; forming a photosensitive adhesive layer on the upper surface of the light-transmitting carrier substrate to at least partially cover the light blocking film; bonding a product substrate to the upper surface of the light-transmitting carrier substrate using the photosensitive adhesive layer; partially curing the photosensitive adhesive layer by irradiating the light through the light-transmitting carrier substrate, wherein a portion of the photosensitive adhesive layer overlapping the light blocking film is not cured; processing the product substrate to form a plurality of semiconductor devices after the partially curing of the photosensitive adhesive layer; and cutting the product substrate such that the plurality of semiconductor devices are cut into a plurality of separate individual semiconductor devices.