An integrated circuit device includes a fin-type active region protruding from a top surface of a substrate and extending in a first direction parallel to the top surface of the substrate, a gate structure intersecting with the fin-type active region and extending on the substrate in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, a source/drain region on a first side of the gate structure, a first contact structure on the source/drain region, and a contact capping layer on the first contact structure. A top surface of the first contact structure has a first width in the first direction, a bottom surface of the contact capping layer has a second width greater than the first width stated above in the first direction, and the contact capping layer includes a protruding portion extending outward from a sidewall of the first contact structure.

A method of fabricating a device includes forming a dummy gate over a plurality of fins. Thereafter, a first portion of the dummy gate is removed to form a first trench that exposes a first hybrid fin and a first part of a second hybrid fin. The method further includes filling the first trench with a dielectric material disposed over the first hybrid fin and over the first part of the second hybrid fin. Thereafter, a second portion of the dummy gate is removed to form a second trench and the second trench is filled with a metal layer. The method further includes etching-back the metal layer, where a first plane defined by a first top surface of the metal layer is disposed beneath a second plane defined by a second top surface of a second part of the second hybrid fin after the etching-back the metal layer.

A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming a plurality of gate structures on a semiconductor fin, and forming a plurality of source/drain regions adjacent the plurality of gate structures. In the method, a germanium oxide layer is formed on the plurality of gate structures and on the plurality of source/drain regions, and portions of the germanium oxide layer on the plurality of source/drain regions are converted into a plurality of dielectric layers. The method also includes removing unconverted portions of the germanium oxide layer from the plurality of gate structures, and depositing a plurality of cap layers in place of the removed unconverted portions of the germanium oxide layer. The plurality of dielectric layers are removed, and a plurality of source/drain contacts are formed on the plurality of source/drain regions. The plurality of source/drain contacts are adjacent the plurality of cap layers.

A semiconductor device structure and a method for fabricating the semiconductor device structure are disclosed. The method includes receiving a substrate stack including at least one semiconductor fin, the substrate stack including: a bottom source/drain epi region directly below the semiconductor fin; a vertical gate structure directly above the bottom source/drain epi region and in contact with the semiconductor fin; a first inter-layer dielectric in contact with a sidewall of the vertical gate structure; and a second interlayer-layer dielectric directly above and contacting a top surface of the first inter-layer dielectric. The method further including: etching a top region of the semiconductor fin and the gate structure thereby creating a recess directly above the top region of the semiconductor fin and the vertical gate structure; and forming in the recess a top source/drain epi region directly above, and contacting, a top surface of the semiconductor fin.

A resistive random access memory (RRAM) device is provided. The RRAM device includes a gate structure on a substrate, and a source region and a drain region disposed on opposite sides of the gate structure on the substrate. The source region includes a semiconductor bulk, and the drain region includes a plurality of semiconductor fins adjacent to the semiconductor bulk, wherein the semiconductor fins are separated from each other by an isolation layer. The RRAM device further includes a plurality of RRAM units, wherein each of the RRAM units electrically contacts one of the semiconductor fins.

The disclosed technology is related to a method that includes the formation of contact vias for contacting gate electrodes and source (S) or drain (D) electrodes of nano-sized semiconductor transistors formed on a semiconductor wafer. The electrodes are mutually parallel and provided with dielectric gate and S/D plugs on top of the electrodes, and the mutually parallel electrode/plug assemblies are separated by dielectric spacers. The formation of the vias takes place by two separate self-aligned etch processes, the Vint-A etch for forming one or more vias towards one or more S/D electrodes and the Vint-G etch for forming one or more vias towards one or more gate electrodes. According to the disclosed technology, a conformal layer is deposited on the wafer after the first self-aligned etch process, wherein the conformal layer is resistant to the second self-aligned etch process. The conformal layer thereby protects the first contact via during the second self-aligned etch.

Systems and methods of forming such include method, forming a memory gate (MG) stack in a first region, forming a sacrificial polysilicon gate on a high-k dielectric in a second region, wherein the first and second regions are disposed in a single substrate. Then a select gate (SG) may be formed adjacent to the MG stack in the first region of the semiconductor substrate. The sacrificial polysilicon gate may be replaced with a metal gate to form a logic field effect transistor (FET) in the second region. The surfaces of the substrate in the first region and the second region are substantially co-planar.

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 depositing a light blocking layer along sidewalls and bottom surfaces of the source/drain contact openings and a topmost surface of the at least one dielectric layer. The method further includes performing a laser annealing process to activate dopants in the source/drain contact region. The method further includes forming source/drain contact structures within source/drain contact openings.

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 depositing a light blocking layer along sidewalls and bottom surfaces of the source/drain contact openings and a topmost surface of the at least one dielectric layer. The method further includes performing a laser annealing process to activate dopants in the source/drain contact region. The method further includes forming source/drain contact structures within source/drain contact openings.

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.