A semiconductor device manufacturing method of forming a trench and a via in a porous low dielectric constant film formed on a substrate as an interlayer insulating film, includes: embedding a polymer having a urea bond in pores of the porous low dielectric constant film by supplying a raw material for polymerization to the porous low dielectric constant film; forming the via by etching the porous low dielectric constant film; subsequently, embedding a protective filling material made of an organic substance in the via; subsequently, forming the trench by etching the porous low dielectric constant film; subsequently, removing the protective filling material; and after the forming a trench, removing the polymer from the pores of the porous low dielectric constant film by heating the substrate to depolymerize the polymer, wherein the embedding a polymer having a urea bond in pores is performed before the forming a trench.

A method for manufacturing a semiconductor structure includes disposing a wafer in a processing chamber, in which the wafer is laterally surrounded by a focus ring. A plasma is formed in the processing chamber to process the wafer. A thickness of the focus ring is detected. A plasma direction of the plasma over a peripheral region of the wafer is adjusted according to the thickness of the focus ring.

A method includes forming a multi-layer mask over a dielectric layer. Forming the multi-layer mask includes forming a bottom layer over the dielectric layer. A first middle layer is formed over the bottom layer. The first middle layer includes a first silicon-containing material. The first silicon-containing material has a first content of Si—CH.sub.3 bonds. A second middle layer is formed over the first middle layer. The second middle layer includes a second silicon-containing material. The second silicon-containing material has a second content of Si—CH.sub.3 bonds less than the first content of Si—CH.sub.3 bonds.

A semiconductor structure includes a first conductive member, a second conductive member and a third conductive member. The first conductive member is extended through and is laterally surrounded by a first dielectric layer. The second conductive member is disposed over the first dielectric layer and the first conductive member, and is laterally surrounded by a second dielectric layer. The third conductive member is disposed over the second conductive member, and is laterally surrounded by the second dielectric layer, wherein a portion of the second conductive member is protruded into the third conductive member.

In some embodiments, the present disclosure relates to a method of forming an interconnect. The method includes forming an etch stop layer (ESL) over a lower conductive structure and forming one or more dielectric layers over the ESL. A first patterning process is performed on the one or more dielectric layers to form interconnect opening and a second patterning process is performed on the one or more dielectric layers to increase a depth of the interconnect opening and expose an upper surface of the ESL. A protective layer is selectively formed on sidewalls of the one or more dielectric layers forming the interconnect opening. A third patterning process is performed to remove portions of the ESL that are uncovered by the one or more dielectric layers and the protective layer and to expose the lower conductive structure. A conductive material is formed within the interconnect opening.

A method includes forming a tri-layer. The tri-layer includes a bottom layer; a middle layer over the bottom layer; and a top layer over the middle layer. The top layer includes a photo resist. The method further includes removing the top layer; and removing the middle layer using a chemical solution. The chemical solution is free from potassium hydroxide (KOH), and includes at least one of a quaternary ammonium hydroxide and a quaternary ammonium fluoride.

A device may include a first conductive element and an interlevel dielectric arranged over the first conductive element. The device may further include a dual damascene opening including a first end, a second end, and sidewalls extending between the first and second ends, the sidewalls extending through the interlevel dielectric. A metal-insulator-metal (MIM) stack may line the dual damascene opening. The MIM stack may include a first conductive liner lining the sidewalls and the second end of the dual damascene opening, an insulator layer lining the first conductive liner, and a second conductive liner lining the insulator layer. A first metal interconnect may be disposed in and filling the dual damascene opening lined with the MIM stack.

For simplifying the dual-damascene formation steps of a multilevel Cu interconnect, a formation step of an antireflective film below a photoresist film is omitted. Described specifically, an interlayer insulating film is dry etched with a photoresist film formed thereover as a mask, and interconnect trenches are formed by terminating etching at the surface of a stopper film formed in the interlayer insulating film. The stopper film is made of an SiCN film having a low optical reflectance, thereby causing it to serve as an antireflective film when the photoresist film is exposed.

A method that provides patterning of an underlying layer to form a first set of trenches and a second set of trenches in the underlying layer is based on a combination of two litho-etch (LE) patterning processes supplemented with a spacer-assisted (SA) technique. The method uses one or more first upper blocks formed by a tone-inversion approach, an upper memorization layer allowing first memorizing upper trenches, and then second upper blocks, and a lower memorization layer allowing first memorizing first lower trenches and one or more first lower blocks, and then second lower trenches and one or more second lower blocks.

A field effect transistor, comprising a gate contact and gate metal forming a vertical structure, such vertical structure having sides and a top surrounded by an air gap formed between a source electrode and a drain electrode of the field effect transistor.