The present disclosure provides a method of semiconductor fabrication. The method includes forming a fin protruding from a substrate, the fin having a first sidewall and a second sidewall opposing the first sidewall; forming a sacrificial dielectric layer on the first and second sidewalls and a top surface of the fin; etching the sacrificial dielectric layer to remove the sacrificial dielectric layer from the second sidewall of the fin; forming a recess in the fin; growing an epitaxial source/drain (S/D) feature from the recess, the epitaxial S/D feature having a first sidewall and a second sidewall opposing the first sidewall, wherein the sacrificial dielectric layer covers the first sidewall of the epitaxial S/D feature; recessing the sacrificial dielectric layer, thereby exposing the first sidewall of the epitaxial S/D feature; and forming an S/D contact on the first sidewall of the epitaxial S/D feature.

A memory device and method of making the same are disclosed. The memory device includes a first split gate memory cell including a first memory stack located over a substrate. The first memory stack includes a first floating gate and a first control gate located above the first floating gate. The split gate memory cell also includes a first select gate located adjacent to the first floating gate and the first control gate and a contact etch stop located over a portion of a top surface of the first select gate. The contact etch stop enables a narrowing of the drain contact via during an etch process. By narrowing the drain contact via, the density of split gate memory cells may be increased.

A semiconductor device structure and fabrication method thereof are disclosed. The method may include providing a substrate; forming a gate structure on the substrate; forming a spacer structure on the gate structure, and forming a contacting conductive structure on the spacer structure. The spacer structure may cover a side wall of the gate structure, and may include a first spacer layer having a first dielectric constant and a second spacer layer having a second dielectric constant different from the first dielectric constant. The contacting conductive structure may cover a side wall of the spacer structure that is defined by a first side surface of the first spacer layer and a second side surface of the second space. The ratio of the area of the second side surface of the second spacer layer to the total area of the side wall of the spacer structure may be in a range from 78% to 98%.

The present disclosure relates to semiconductor structures and, more particularly, to semiconductor device with reduced gate height budget and methods of manufacture. The method includes: forming a plurality of gate structures on a substrate; recessing material of the plurality of gate structures to below a surface of an insulator material; forming trenches in the insulator material and underlying material adjacent to sidewalls of the plurality of gate structures; and filling the recesses and trenches with a capping material.

The present disclosure provides a semiconductor device. The semiconductor device includes a substrate, a gate electrode, a drain region, a source region, an isolating layer, a plurality of metal contacts, a plurality of conductive plugs, and a contact liner. The gate electrode is disposed on the substrate. The drain region and the source region are disposed in the substrate and on opposite sides of the gate electrode. The isolating layer is disposed over the substrate and the gate electrode. The metal contacts are disposed in the gate electrode, the source region, and the drain region. The conductive plugs are disposed in the isolating layer and electrically coupled to the metal contacts. The contact liner surrounds the conductive plugs. The present disclosure further provides a method for manufacturing the semiconductor device.

Semiconductor devices and methods of forming the same include forming a gate stack in contact with sidewalls of a semiconductor fin and on a bottom spacer over a bottom source/drain region. An encapsulating material is selectively deposited over the gate stack, leaving the bottom spacer exposed. An inter-layer dielectric is formed over the encapsulating material. A via is formed in the inter-layer dielectric to contact the bottom source/drain layer.

A method of forming a semiconductor device includes forming source/drain contact openings extending through at least one dielectric layer to expose source/drain contact regions of source/drain structures. The method further includes forming conductive plugs in the source/drain contact openings. The method further includes depositing a light blocking layer over the conductive plugs and the at least one dielectric layer. The method further includes etching the light blocking layer to expose the conductive plugs. The method further includes directing a laser irradiation to the conductive plugs and the light blocking layer. The laser irradiation is configured to activate dopants in the source/drain contact regions.

Various embodiments of the present disclosure are directed towards a method for forming a fully silicided (FUSI) gated device, the method including: forming a masking layer onto a gate structure over a substrate, the gate structure comprising a polysilicon layer. Forming a first source region and a first drain region on opposing sides of the gate structure within the substrate, the gate structure is formed before the first source and drain regions. Performing a first removal process to remove a portion of the masking layer and expose an upper surface of the polysilicon layer. The first source and drain regions are formed before the first removal process. Forming a conductive layer directly contacting the upper surface of the polysilicon layer. The conductive layer is formed after the first removal process. Converting the conductive layer and polysilicon layer into a FUSI layer. The FUSI layer is thin and uniform in thickness.

In one aspect, a method of forming a semiconductor device, can comprise forming a first transistor structure and a second transistor structure separated by a trench. The first and the second transistor structures can comprise a plurality of stacked nanosheets forming a channel structure, and a source portion and a drain portion horizontally separated by the channel structure. A first and a second spacer can beformed in the trench at sidewalls of the transistor structures, both protruding above a top surface of the transistor structures. The method can comprise applying a first mask layer including an opening exposing the first spacer at a first source/drain portion of the first transistor structure and covering the second spacer, partially etching the exposed first spacer through the opening, exposing at least parts of a sidewall of the first source/drain portion of the first transistor structure, and removing the mask layer. The method can further comprise depositing a contact material over the transistor structures and the first and second spacer, filling the trench and contacting the first source/drain portion of the first transistor structure, and etching back the contact material layer below a top surface of the second spacer.

In one aspect, a method of forming a semiconductor device can comprise forming a first transistor structure and a second transistor structure separated by a first trench which comprises a first dielectric wall protruding above a top surface of the transistor structures. The first and the second transistor structures each can comprise a plurality of stacked nanosheets forming a channel structure, and a source portion and a drain portion horizontally separated by the channel structure. The method further can comprise depositing a contact material over the transistor structures and the first dielectric wall, thereby filling the first trench and contacting a first source/drain portion of the first transistor structure and a first source/drain portion of the second transistor structure. Further, the method can comprise etching back the contact material layer below a top surface of the first dielectric wall, thereby forming a first contact contacting the first source/drain portion of the first transistor structure, and a second contact contacting the first source/drain portion of the second transistor structure.