A semiconductor device includes: a lower structure including a device and a lower wiring structure; an insulating layer on the lower structure; a via penetrating the insulating layer; a wiring pattern on the insulating layer and the via; and a silicon oxide layer covering the wiring pattern, and including hydrogen, wherein the wiring pattern includes first and second conductive layers, an upper surface protective layer, and a side surface protective layer, wherein the second conductive layer is on the first conductive layer, wherein the upper surface protective layer covers an upper surface of the second conductive layer, and the side surface protective layer covers side surfaces of the first and second conductive layers, and wherein each of the upper surface protective layer and the side surface protective layer includes a metal material having an activation energy higher than that of a metal material of the second conductive layer.

Structures in semiconductor devices, and methods for forming the structures, are described. In one embodiment, a hard mask layer of a deposition stack can be etched to pattern a hard mask. An interconnect layer of the deposition stack can be etched using the hard mask to pattern a plurality of metal lines. The hard mask can be removed. A liner layer of the deposition stack can be etched to remove a portion of the liner layer deposited directly on a dielectric layer of the deposition stack. In response to etching the liner layer, a remaining portion of the liner layer can be deposited between the metal lines and the dielectric layer.

Semiconductor devices having air gap spacers that are formed as part of BEOL or MOL layers of the semiconductor devices are provided, as well as methods for fabricating such air gap spacers. For example, a method comprises forming a first metallic structure and a second metallic structure on a substrate, wherein the first and second metallic structures are disposed adjacent to each other with insulating material disposed between the first and second metallic structures. The insulating material is etched to form a space between the first and second metallic structures. A layer of dielectric material is deposited over the first and second metallic structures using a pinch-off deposition process to form an air gap in the space between the first and second metallic structures, wherein a portion of the air gap extends above an upper surface of at least one of the first metallic structure and the second metallic structure.

The present disclosure provides one embodiment of a semiconductor structure. The semiconductor structure includes a first active region and a second fin active region extruded from a semiconductor substrate; an isolation featured formed in the semiconductor substrate and being interposed between the first and second fin active regions; a dielectric gate disposed on the isolation feature; a first gate stack disposed on the first fin active region and a second gate stack disposed on the second fin active region; a first source/drain feature formed in the first fin active region and interposed between the first gate stack and the dielectric gate; a second source/drain feature formed in the second fin active region and interposed between the second gate stack and the dielectric gate; a contact feature formed in a first inter-level dielectric material layer and landing on the first and second source/drain features and extending over the dielectric gate.

A method of manufacturing a redistribution layer includes: forming an insulating layer on a wafer, delimited by a top surface and a bottom surface in contact with the wafer; forming a conductive body above the top surface of the insulating layer; forming a first coating region extending around and above the conductive body, in contact with the conductive body, and in contact with the top surface of the insulating layer in correspondence of a bottom surface of the first coating region; applying a thermal treatment to the wafer in order to modify a residual stress of the first coating region, forming a gap between the bottom surface of the first coating region and the top surface of the insulating layer; forming, after applying the thermal treatment, a second coating region extending around and above the first coating region, filling said gap and completely sealing the first coating region.

A method includes forming a first conductive feature, depositing a passivation layer on a sidewall and a top surface of the first conductive feature, etching the passivation layer to reveal the first conductive feature, and recessing a first top surface of the passivation layer to form a step. The step comprises a second top surface of the passivation layer. The method further includes forming a planarization layer on the passivation layer, and forming a second conductive feature extending into the passivation layer to contact the first conductive feature.

A method includes forming a metal seed layer over a first conductive feature of a wafer, forming a patterned photo resist on the metal seed layer, forming a second conductive feature in an opening in the patterned photo resist, and heating the wafer to generate a gap between the second conductive feature and the patterned photo resist. A protection layer is plated on the second conductive feature. The method further includes removing the patterned photo resist, and etching the metal seed layer.

A barrier layer is selectively formed on a bottom surface of a recess (e.g., in which a back end of line (BEOL) conductive structure will be formed) using a combination of flash physical vapor deposition with atomic layer deposition. Additionally, a ruthenium liner is selectively deposited on sidewalls of the BEOL conductive structure using a blocking material. Accordingly, the barrier layer prevents diffusion of metal ions from the BEOL conductive structure and is thinner at the bottom surface as compared to the sidewalls in order to reduce contact resistance. Additionally, the ruthenium liner improves copper flow into the BEOL conductive structure and is thinner at the bottom surface in order to further reduce contact resistance.

A semiconductor structure includes a semiconductor substrate, a dielectric layer, a via, a first graphene layer, and a metal line. The dielectric layer is over the semiconductor substrate. The via extends through the dielectric layer. The first graphene layer extends along a top surface of the via. The metal line spans the first graphene layer. The metal line has a line width decreasing as a distance from the first graphene layer increases.

Provided is an interconnect structure including: a first conductive feature, disposed in a first dielectric layer; a second conductive feature, disposed over the first conductive feature and the first dielectric layer; a via, disposed between the first and second conductive features and being in direct contact with the first and second conductive features; and a barrier structure, lining a sidewall and a portion of a bottom surface of the second conductive feature, a sidewall of the via, a portion of a top surface of the first conductive feature, and a top surface of the first dielectric layer.