A semiconductor device structure is provided. The semiconductor device structure includes a gate stack and a source/drain contact structure formed over a substrate. A first gate spacer is separated the gate stack from the source/drain contact structure and extends above top surfaces of the gate stack and the source/drain contact structure. An insulating capping layer covers the top surface of the gate stack and extends on the top surface of the first gate spacer. A conductive via structure partially covers the top surface of the insulating capping layer and the top surface of the source/drain contact structure. A first insulating layer surrounds the conductive via structure and partially covers the top surface of the source/drain contact structure.

A method of fabricating semiconductor fins, including, patterning a film stack to produce one or more sacrificial mandrels having sidewalls, exposing the sidewall on one side of the one or more sacrificial mandrels to an ion beam to make the exposed sidewall more susceptible to oxidation, oxidizing the opposite sidewalls of the one or more sacrificial mandrels to form a plurality of oxide pillars, removing the one or more sacrificial mandrels, forming spacers on opposite sides of each of the plurality of oxide pillars to produce a spacer pattern, removing the plurality of oxide pillars, and transferring the spacer pattern to the substrate to produce a plurality of fins.

A semiconductor device includes: an isolation insulating layer; fin structures protruding from the isolation insulating layer; gate structures, each having a metal gate and a cap insulating layer disposed over the metal gate; a first source/drain epitaxial layer and a second source/drain epitaxial layer disposed between two adjacent gate structures; and a first conductive contact disposed on the first source/drain epitaxial layer, and a second conductive contact disposed on the second source/drain epitaxial layer; a separation isolation region disposed between the first and second conductive contact; and an insulating layer disposed between the separation isolation region and the isolation insulating layer. The separation isolation region is made of a different material than the insulating layer.

A method comprises forming a gate structure between gate spacers; etching back the gate structure to fall below top ends of the gate spacers; forming a gate dielectric cap over the etched back gate structure; performing an ion implantation process to form a doped region in the gate dielectric cap; depositing a contact etch stop layer over the gate dielectric cap and an ILD layer over the contact etch stop layer; performing a first etching process to form a gate contact opening extending through the ILD layer and terminating prior to reaching the doped region of the gate dielectric cap; performing a second etching process to deepen the gate contact opening, wherein the second etching process etches the doped region of the gate dielectric cap at a slower etch rate than etching the contact etch stop layer; and forming a gate contact in the deepened gate contact opening.

The invention provides a fin structure for a fin field effect transistor, including a substrate. The substrate includes a plurality of silicon fins, wherein a top of each one of the silicon fins is a round-like shape in a cross-section view. An isolation layer is disposed on the substrate between the silicon fins at a lower portion of the silicon fins while an upper portion of the silicon fins is exposed. A stress buffer layer is disposed on a sidewall of the silicon fins between the isolation layer and the lower portion of the silicon fins. The stress buffer layer includes a nitride portion.

In a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, a fin structure, in which first semiconductor layers and second semiconductor layers are alternately stacked, is formed over a bottom fin structure. A sacrificial gate structure having sidewall spacers is formed over the fin structure. A source/drain region of the fin structure, which is not covered by the sacrificial gate structure, is removed. The second semiconductor layers are laterally recessed. Dielectric inner spacers are formed on lateral ends of the recessed second semiconductor layers. The first semiconductor layers are laterally recessed. A source/drain epitaxial layer is formed to contact lateral ends of the recessed first semiconductor layer. The second semiconductor layers are removed thereby releasing the first semiconductor layers in a channel region. A gate structure is formed around the first semiconductor layers.

Embodiments of the disclosure are in the field of advanced integrated circuit structure fabrication and, in particular, 10 nanometer node and smaller integrated circuit structure fabrication and the resulting structures. In an example, an integrated circuit structure includes a first plurality of conductive interconnect lines in and spaced apart by a first ILD layer, wherein individual ones of the first plurality of conductive interconnect lines comprise a first conductive barrier material along sidewalls and a bottom of a first conductive fill material. A second plurality of conductive interconnect lines is in and spaced apart by a second ILD layer above the first ILD layer, wherein individual ones of the second plurality of conductive interconnect lines comprise a second conductive barrier material along sidewalls and a bottom of a second conductive fill material, wherein the second conductive fill material is different in composition from the first conductive fill material.

Embodiments of the disclosure are in the field of advanced integrated circuit structure fabrication and, in particular, 10 nanometer node and smaller integrated circuit structure fabrication and the resulting structures. In an example, an integrated circuit structure includes first and second gate dielectric layers over a fin. First and second gate electrodes are over the first and second gate dielectric layers, respectively, the first and second gate electrodes both having an insulating cap having a top surface. First dielectric spacer are adjacent the first side of the first gate electrode. A trench contact structure is over a semiconductor source or drain region adjacent first and second dielectric spacers, the trench contact structure comprising an insulating cap on a conductive structure, the insulating cap of the trench contact structure having a top surface substantially co-planar with the insulating caps of the first and second gate electrodes.

An etching method is provided. In the etching method, a protective film-forming gas including an amine gas is supplied to a substrate having a surface on which a first film and a second film are formed, the first film and the second film having respective properties of being etched by an etching gas, and a protective film is formed to cover the first film such that the first film is selectively protected between the first film and the second film when the etching gas is supplied. Further, the second film is selectively etched by supplying the etching gas to the substrate after the protective film is formed.

A method of fabricating a semiconductor device is disclosed. The method may include forming an etch-target layer, a mask layer, a blocking layer, and a photoresist layer, which are sequentially stacked on a substrate; forming a photoresist pattern, the forming the photoresist pattern including irradiating the photoresist layer with extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light; forming a mask layer, the forming the mask layer including etching the mask layer using the photoresist pattern as an etch mask; and forming a target pattern, the forming the target pattern including etching the etch-target layer using the mask pattern as an etch mask. The photoresist layer may include an organic metal oxide. The blocking layer may be a non-polar layer and may limit and/or prevent a metallic element in the photoresist layer from infiltrating into the mask layer.