The present disclosure provides a method of forming N-type and P-type source/drain features using one patterned mask and one self-aligned mask to increase windows of error tolerance and provide flexibilities for source/drain features of various shapes and/or volumes. The present disclosure also includes forming a trench between neighboring source/drain features to remove bridging between the neighboring source/drain features. In some embodiments, the trenches between the source/drain features are formed by etching from the backside of the substrate.

In a semiconductor manufacturing method, a mask is disposed on a semiconductor layer or semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor layer or semiconductor substrate is etched in an area delineated by the mask to form a cavity. With the mask disposed on the semiconductor layer or semiconductor substrate, the cavity is lined to form a containment structure. With the mask disposed on the semiconductor layer or semiconductor substrate, the containment structure is filled with a base semiconductor material. After filling the containment structure with the base semiconductor material, the mask is removed. At least one semiconductor device is fabricated in and/or on the base semiconductor material deposited in the containment structure.

In a semiconductor manufacturing method, a mask is disposed on a semiconductor layer or semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor layer or semiconductor substrate is etched in an area delineated by the mask to form a cavity. With the mask disposed on the semiconductor layer or semiconductor substrate, the cavity is lined to form a containment structure. With the mask disposed on the semiconductor layer or semiconductor substrate, the containment structure is filled with a base semiconductor material. After filling the containment structure with the base semiconductor material, the mask is removed. At least one semiconductor device is fabricated in and/or on the base semiconductor material deposited in the containment structure.

Embodiments of the present application provide a semiconductor structure and a manufacturing method thereof. The semiconductor structure manufacturing method includes: providing a base substrate and an array region, the array region being composed of strip structures arranged in parallel, the base substrate being made of a same material as the array region, and a thickness of the base substrate being greater than a thickness of the array region; etching the strip structure to form discrete first strip structures; base substrate providing a second mask layer, an opening pattern of the second mask layer exposing the to-be-etched region and the side plane, and a right angle being formed between an orthographic projection of the side plane and the opening pattern; form a first active region, the first active region having a mapping right angle corresponding to the right angle.

A method for forming ultra-high density integrated circuitry, such as for a 6T SRAM, for example, is provided. The method involves applying double patterning litho-etch litho-etch (LELE) and using a spacer process to shrink the critical dimension of features. To improve process margins, the method implements a double-patterning technique by modifying the layout and splitting cross-coupling straps into two colors (e.g., each color corresponds to a mask-etch process). In addition, a spacer process is implemented to shrink feature size and increase the metal-to-metal spacing between the two cross-coupling straps, in order to improve process margin and electrical performance. This is achieved by depositing a spacer layer over an opening in a hardmask, followed by spacer etch back. The opening is thus shrunk by the amount of spacer thickness. The strap-to-strap spacing may then be increased by twice the amount of spacer thickness.

Trenches of different depths in an integrated circuit are formed by a process utilizes a dry etch. A first stop layer is formed over first and second zones of the substrate. A second stop layer is formed over the first stop layer in only the second zone. A patterned mask defines the locations where the trenches are to be formed. The dry etch uses the mask to etch in the first zone, in a given time, through the first stop layer and then into the substrate down to a first depth to form a first trench. This etch also, at the same time, etch in the second zone through the second stop layer, and further through the first stop layer, and then into the substrate down to a second depth to form a second trench. The second depth is shallower than the first depth.

Trenches of different depths in an integrated circuit are formed by a process utilizes a dry etch. A first stop layer is formed over first and second zones of the substrate. A second stop layer is formed over the first stop layer in only the second zone. A patterned mask defines the locations where the trenches are to be formed. The dry etch uses the mask to etch in the first zone, in a given time, through the first stop layer and then into the substrate down to a first depth to form a first trench. This etch also, at the same time, etch in the second zone through the second stop layer, and further through the first stop layer, and then into the substrate down to a second depth to form a second trench. The second depth is shallower than the first depth.

The present invention disclosures a Tip-to-Tip pattern preparation method, comprising: providing a substrate, and sequentially forming a layer to be etched, a first hard mask layer, a second hard mask layer, a sacrificial layer, a first dielectric layer and a first photoresist layer on the substrate, forming a first patterned photoresist layer which has a first Tip-to-Tip pattern by EUV lithography, and transferring the first Tip-to-Tip pattern to the second hard mask layer by etching; then forming a second patterned photoresist layer which has a second Tip-to-Tip pattern by the EUV lithography, and transferring the second Tip-to-Tip pattern to the second hard mask layer by etching; finally, transferring the first Tip-to-Tip pattern and the second Tip-to-Tip pattern to the layer to be etched. The above method needs only performing the EUV lithography twice to form the small-sized Tip-to-Tip pattern with a period halved, that is, the EUV lithography and etching are used for reducing lithography layers and realizing to form the small-sized Tip-to-Tip pattern with the period halved.

Semiconductor structures and forming methods are disclosed. One form of a method includes: forming mask spacers on a base; patterning a target layer using the mask spacers as masks, to form discrete initial pattern layers, where the initial pattern layers extend along a lateral direction and grooves are formed between a longitudinal adjacent initial pattern layers; forming boundary defining grooves that penetrate through the initial pattern layers located at boundary positions of the target areas and cutting areas along the lateral direction; forming spacing layers filled into the grooves and the boundary defining grooves; and using the spacing layers located in boundary defining grooves and the spacing layers located in the grooves as stop layers along the lateral and the longitudinal directions respectively, etching the initial pattern layers located in the cutting areas, and using the remaining initial pattern layers located in the target areas as the target pattern layers.

A method for manufacturing a semiconductor structure includes: providing a base; forming multiple discrete first mask layers on the base; forming multiple sidewall layers, in which each sidewall layer is configured to encircle one of the first mask layers, and each sidewall layer is connected to closest sidewall layers, the side walls, away from the first mask layers, of multiple connected sidewall layers define initial first vias and each of the initial first vias is provided with chamfers; removing the first mask layers, and each sidewall layer defines a second via; after removing the first mask layers, forming repair layers which are located on the side walls, away from the second vias, of the sidewall layers and fill the chamfers of the initial first vias to form first vias; and etching the base along the first vias and the second vias to form capacitor holes on the base.