A semiconductor device is described. The semiconductor device includes: a semiconductor substrate; an electrode structure on or in the semiconductor substrate, the electrode structure including an electrode and an insulating material that separates the electrode from the semiconductor substrate; and a strain-inducing material embedded in the electrode. The electrode structure adjoins a region of the semiconductor substrate through which current flows in a first direction during operation of the semiconductor device. The electrode is under either tensile or compressive stress in the first direction. The strain-inducing material either enhances or at least partly counteracts the stress of the electrode in the first direction. Methods of producing the semiconductor device are also described.

Embodiments of the invention are directed to a fabrication method that includes forming a first-region channel over a first region of a substrate, wherein the first-region channel further includes lateral sidewalls having a length (L), a first end sidewall having a first width (W1), and a second end sidewall having a second width (W2). L is greater than W1, and L is greater than W2. A first stress anchor is formed on the first end sidewall of the first-region channel, and a second stress anchor is formed on the second end sidewall of the first-region channel. The first stress anchor is configured to impart strain through the first end sidewalls to the first-region channel. The second stress anchor is configured to impart strain through the second end sidewalls to the first-region channel.

A semiconductor device includes a field effect transistor including: a semiconductor substrate including a channel forming region; a gate insulating film formed at the channel forming region on the semiconductor substrate; a gate electrode formed over the gate insulating film; a first stress application layer formed over the gate electrode and applying stress to the channel forming region; a source/drain region formed on a surface layer portion of the semiconductor substrate at both sides of the gate electrode and the first stress application layer; and a second stress application layer formed over the source/drain region in a region other than at least a region of the first stress application layer and applying stress different from the first stress application layer to the channel forming region.

A semiconductor die includes a semiconductor body, and a multi-layer environmental barrier on the semiconductor body. The multi-layer environmental barrier includes a plurality of sublayers that are stacked on the semiconductor body. Each of the sublayers comprises a respective stress in one or more directions, where the respective stresses of at least two of the sublayers are different. The sublayers may include a first stressor sublayer comprising first stress, and a second stressor sublayer comprising a second stress that at least partially compensates for the first stress in the one or more directions. Related devices and methods of fabrication are also discussed.

A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate having a well region and a gate structure formed over the well region of the semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor device also includes a gate spacer structure having a first spacer portion and a second spacer portion on opposite sidewalls of the gate structure. The semiconductor device also includes a source region and a drain region formed in the semiconductor substrate. The source region and a drain region are separated from the gate structure. The source region is adjacent to the first spacer portion of the gate spacer structure, and the drain region is adjacent to the second spacer portion of the gate spacer structure. The bottom width of the second spacer portion is greater than the bottom width of the first spacer portion.

A 3D semiconductor device including: a first level including a plurality of first single-crystal transistors; a plurality of memory control circuits formed from at least a portion of the plurality of first single-crystal transistors; a first metal layer disposed atop the plurality of first single-crystal transistors; a second metal layer disposed atop the first metal layer; a second level disposed atop the second metal layer, the second level including a plurality of second transistors; a third level including a plurality of third transistors, where the third level is disposed above the second level; a third metal layer disposed above the third level; and a fourth metal layer disposed above the third metal layer, where the plurality of second transistors are aligned to the plurality of first single crystal transistors with less than 140 nm alignment error, the second level includes first memory cells, the third level includes second memory cells.

Embodiments of the disclosure are in the field of advanced integrated circuit structure fabrication and, in particular, 10 nanometer node and smaller integrated circuit structure fabrication and the resulting structures. In an example, an integrated circuit structure includes a P-type semiconductor device above a substrate and including first and second semiconductor source or drain regions adjacent first and second sides of a first gate electrode. A first metal silicide layer is directly on the first and second semiconductor source or drain regions. An N-type semiconductor device includes third and fourth semiconductor source or drain regions adjacent first and second sides of a second gate electrode. A second metal silicide layer is directly on the third and fourth semiconductor source or drain regions, respectively. The first metal silicide layer comprises at least one metal species not included in the second metal silicide layer.

A method includes forming a dummy gate structure over a wafer. Gate spacers are formed on either side of the dummy gate structure. The dummy gate structure is removed to form a gate trench between the gate spacers. A gate dielectric layer is formed in the gate trench. A gate electrode is formed over the gate dielectric layer. Forming the gate dielectric layer includes applying a first bias to the wafer. With the first bias turned on, first precursors are fed to the wafer. The first bias is turned off. After turning off the first bias, second precursors are fed to the wafer.

A semiconductor device is provided. The semiconductor device includes a dielectric layer over a substrate and a contact structure embedded in the dielectric layer. The contact structure includes a diffusion barrier contacting the dielectric layer, the diffusion barrier including a titanium (Ti)-containing alloy. The contact structure further includes a liner on the diffusion barrier, the liner including a noble metal. The contact structure further includes a conductive plug on the liner.

A method includes forming a silicon liner over a semiconductor device, which includes a dummy gate structure disposed over a substrate and S/D features disposed adjacent to the dummy gate structure, where the dummy gate structure traverses a channel region between the S/D features. The method further includes forming an ILD layer over the silicon liner, which includes elemental silicon, introducing a dopant species to the ILD layer, and subsequently removing the dummy gate structure to form a gate trench. Thereafter, the method proceeds to performing a thermal treatment to the doped ILD layer, thereby oxidizing the silicon liner, and forming a metal gate stack in the gate trench and over the oxidized silicon liner.