A method of forming conductive lines in a circuit is disclosed. The method includes arranging a plurality of signal traces in a first set of signal traces and a second set of signal traces, fabricating, using a first mask, a first conductive line for a first signal trace of the first set of signal traces and fabricating, using a second mask, a second conductive line for a second signal trace of the second set of signal traces. Each signal trace of the first set of signal traces has a first width. Each signal trace of the second set of signal traces has a second width different from the first width. The arranging is based on at least a length of a signal trace of the plurality of signal traces.

A semiconductor device and a process of forming the semiconductor device are disclosed. The semiconductor device type of a high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) has double SiN films on a semiconductor layer, where the first SiN film is formed by the lower pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) technique, while, the second SiN film is deposited by the plasma assisted CVD (p-CVD) technique. Moreover, the gate electrode has an arrangement of double metals, one of which contains nickel (Ni) as a Schottky metal, while the other is free from Ni and covers the former metal. A feature of the invention is that the first metal is in contact with the semiconductor layer but apart from the second SiN film.

A method for forming spacers of a gate of a field effect transistor is provided, the gate including sides and a top and being located above a layer of a semiconductor material, the method including a step of forming a dielectric layer that covers the gate; after the step of forming the dielectric layer, at least one step of modifying the dielectric layer by ion implantation while retaining non-modified portions of the dielectric layer covering sides of the gate and being at least non-modified over their entire thickness; the ions having a hydrogen base and/or a helium base; at least one step of removing the modified dielectric layer using a selective etching of the dielectric layer, wherein the removing includes a wet etching with a base of a solution including hydrofluoric acid diluted to x % by weight, with x≦0.2, and having a pH less than or equal to 1.5.

A method includes etching a first region by plasma etching such that an upper surface of the first region is provided at a deeper position within a substrate than a second region; forming a deposit containing carbon on the substrate by forming plasma of a hydrocarbon gas inside a chamber of a plasma processing apparatus; and further etching the first region by plasma etching. In the forming of the plasma of the hydrocarbon gas, magnetic field distribution in which a horizontal component on an edge side of the substrate is larger than a horizontal component on a center of the substrate is formed by an electromagnet.

A processing chamber such as a plasma etch chamber can perform deposition and etch operations, where byproducts of the deposition and etch operations can build up in a vacuum pump system fluidly coupled to the processing chamber. A vacuum pump system may have multiple roughing pumps so that etch gases can be diverted a roughing pump and deposition precursors can be diverted to another roughing pump. A divert line may route unused deposition precursors through a separate roughing pump. Deposition byproducts can be prevented from forming by incorporating one or more gas ejectors or venturi pumps at an outlet of a primary pump in a vacuum pump system. Cleaning operations, such as waferless automated cleaning operations, using certain clean chemistries may remove deposition byproducts before or after etch operations.

Structures and formation methods of a semiconductor device structure are provided. The semiconductor device structure includes a fin structure over a semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor device structure also includes a gate stack covering a portion of the fin structure. The semiconductor device structure further includes a spacer element over a sidewall of the gate stack. The spacer element includes a first layer and a second layer over the first layer. The dielectric constant of the first layer is greater than the dielectric constant of the second layer. A gate dielectric layer of the gate stack adjoins the first layer and the second layer.

Structures and formation methods of a semiconductor device structure are provided. The semiconductor device structure includes a fin structure over a semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor device structure also includes a gate stack covering a portion of the fin structure. The semiconductor device structure further includes a spacer element over a sidewall of the gate stack. The spacer element includes a first layer and a second layer over the first layer. The dielectric constant of the first layer is greater than the dielectric constant of the second layer. A gate dielectric layer of the gate stack adjoins the first layer and the second layer.

A three-dimensional stacking structure is described. The stacking structure includes at least a bottom die, a top die and a spacer protective structure. The bottom die includes contact pads in the non-bonding region. The top die is stacked on the bottom die without covering the contact pads of the bottom die and the bottom die is bonded with the top die through bonding structures there-between. The spacer protective structure is disposed on the bottom die and covers the top die to protect the top die. By forming an anti-bonding layer before stacking the top dies to the bottom dies, the top die can be partially removed to expose the contact pads of the bottom die for further connection.

The invention is related to a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device having a barrier pattern. The method includes alternately forming first sacrificial layers and insulating layers forming channel patterns penetrating the first sacrificial layers and the insulating layers, and forming a slit penetrating the first sacrificial layers and the insulating layers. In order to form the barrier pattern, the method also includes forming openings by removing the first sacrificial layers through the slit, and respectively forming conductive layers in the openings. The conductive layers include first barrier patterns having inclined inner surfaces and metal patterns in the first barrier patterns.

Thin tin oxide films are used as spacers in semiconductor device manufacturing. In one implementation, thin tin oxide film is conformally deposited onto a semiconductor substrate having an exposed layer of a first material (e.g., silicon oxide or silicon nitride) and a plurality of protruding features comprising a second material (e.g., silicon or carbon). For example, 10-100 nm thick tin oxide layer can be deposited using atomic layer deposition. Next, tin oxide film is removed from horizontal surfaces, without being completely removed from the sidewalls of the protruding features. Next, the material of protruding features is etched away, leaving tin oxide spacers on the substrate. This is followed by etching the unprotected portions of the first material, without removal of the spacers. Next, underlying layer is etched, and spacers are removed. Tin-containing particles can be removed from processing chambers by converting them to volatile tin hydride.