There is provided a field-effect transistor including: a gate electrode; a semiconductor layer having a source region and a drain region with the gate electrode in between; contact plugs provided on the source region and the drain region; first metals stacked on the contact plugs; and a low-dielectric constant region provided in a region between the first metals along an in-plane direction of the semiconductor layer and provided at least in a first region below bottom surfaces of the first metals along a stacking direction.

Disclosed are a semiconductor structure and method of forming the structure. The structure includes a field effect transistor (FET) with a channel region between source/drain regions that extend through a semiconductor layer and into an insulator layer, that include a first portion in the insulator layer, and a second portion on the first portion in the semiconductor layer and, optionally, extending above the semiconductor layer. The first portion is relatively wide, includes a shallow section below the second portion, and a deep section adjacent to the channel region and overlayed by the semiconductor layer. The uniquely shaped first portion boosts saturation current to be boosted to allow the height of the second portion to be reduced to minimize overlap capacitance. Optionally, each source/drain region includes multiple semiconductor materials including a stress-inducing semiconductor material grown laterally from the semiconductor layer to improve charge carrier mobility in the channel region.

A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate, a gate structure, a first drift region, a first source/drain region, and a gate oxide layer. The gate structure and the gate oxide layer are disposed on the semiconductor substrate. The first drift region is disposed in the semiconductor substrate. The first source/drain region is disposed in the first drift region. At least a part of a first portion of the gate oxide layer is disposed between the gate structure and the semiconductor substrate in a vertical direction. A second portion of the gate oxide layer is disposed between the first portion and the first source/drain region in a horizontal direction. The second portion includes a bottom extending downwards and a first concave top surface located above the bottom. A part of the first drift region is located under the first portion and the second portion of the gate oxide layer.

A high voltage semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate, an isolation structure, a gate oxide layer, and a gate structure. The semiconductor substrate includes a channel region, and at least a part of the isolation structure is disposed in the semiconductor substrate and surrounds the channel region. The gate oxide layer is disposed on the semiconductor substrate, and the gate oxide layer includes a first portion and a second portion. The second portion is disposed at two opposite sides of the first portion in a horizontal direction, and a thickness of the first portion is greater than a thickness of the second portion. The gate structure is disposed on the gate oxide layer and the isolation structure.

Provided are methods and apparatuses for densifying a silicon carbide film using remote plasma treatment. Operations of remote plasma deposition and remote plasma treatment of the silicon carbide film alternatingly occur to control film density. A first thickness of silicon carbide film is deposited followed by a remote plasma treatment, and then a second thickness of silicon carbide film is deposited followed by another remote plasma treatment. The remote plasma treatment can flow radicals of source gas in a substantially low energy state, such as radicals of hydrogen in a ground state, towards silicon carbide film deposited on a substrate. The radicals of source gas in the substantially low energy state promote cross-linking and film densification in the silicon carbide film.

Generally, the present disclosure provides example embodiments relating to conductive features, such as metal contacts, vias, lines, etc., and methods for forming those conductive features. In an embodiment, a barrier layer is formed along a sidewall. A portion of the barrier layer along the sidewall is etched back by a wet etching process. After etching back the portion of the barrier layer, an underlying dielectric welding layer is exposed. A conductive material is formed along the barrier layer.

A substrate with a (001) orientation is provided. A gallium arsenide (GaAs) layer is epitaxially grown on the substrate. The GaAs layer has a reconstruction surface that is a 4×6 reconstruction surface, a 2×4 reconstruction surface, a 3×2 reconstruction surface, a 2×1 reconstruction surface, or a 4×4 reconstruction surface. Via an atomic layer deposition process, a single-crystal structure yttrium oxide (Y.sub.2O.sub.3) layer is formed on the reconstruction surface of the GaAs layer. The atomic layer deposition process includes water or ozone gas as an oxygen source precursor and a cyclopentadienyl-type compound as an yttrium source precursor.

A method and structure for providing a two-step defect reduction bake, followed by a high-temperature epitaxial layer growth. In various embodiments, a semiconductor wafer is loaded into a processing chamber. While the semiconductor wafer is loaded within the processing chamber, a first pre-epitaxial layer deposition baking process is performed at a first pressure and first temperature. In some cases, after the first pre-epitaxial layer deposition baking process, a second pre-epitaxial layer deposition baking process is then performed at a second pressure and second temperature. In some embodiments, the second pressure is different than the first pressure. By way of example, after the second pre-epitaxial layer deposition baking process and while at a growth temperature, a precursor gas may then be introduced into the processing chamber to deposit an epitaxial layer over the semiconductor wafer.

An insulating layer is deposited over a transistor structure. The transistor structure comprises a gate electrode over a device layer on a substrate. The transistor structure comprises a first contact region and a second contact region on the device layer at opposite sides of the gate electrode. A trench is formed in the first insulating layer over the first contact region. A metal-insulator phase transition material layer with a S-shaped IV characteristic is deposited in the trench or in the via of the metallization layer above on the source side.

Methods of forming a strained channel device utilizing dislocations disposed in source/drain structures are described. Those methods and structures may include forming a thin silicon germanium material in a source/drain opening of a device comprising silicon, wherein multiple dislocations are formed in the silicon germanium material. A source/drain material may be formed on the thin silicon germanium material, wherein the dislocations induce a tensile strain in a channel region of the device.