A method of forming a semiconductor structure includes forming a metal gate stack over a shallow trench isolation (STI) material in a semiconductor substrate, forming an interlayer dielectric over the STI material, recessing the interlayer dielectric to a height lower than a top surface of the metal gate stack, forming a helmet structure over the recessed interlayer dielectric, and after forming the helmet structure, etching the metal gate stack until reaching the STI material.

Apparatuses, methods, and systems related to electrode formation are described. A first portion of a top electrode is formed over a dielectric material of a storage node. A metal oxide is formed over the first portion of the electrode. A second portion of the electrode is formed over the metal oxide.

Methods for depositing oxide thin films, such as metal oxide, metal silicates, silicon oxycarbide (SiOC) and silicon oxycarbonitride (SiOCN) thin films, on a substrate in a reaction space are provided. The methods can include at least one plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) cycle including alternately and sequentially contacting the substrate with a first reactant that comprises oxygen and a component of the oxide, and a second reactant comprising reactive species that does not include oxygen species. In some embodiments the plasma power used to generate the reactive species can be selected from a range to achieve a desired step coverage or wet etch rate ratio (WERR) for films deposited on three dimensional features. In some embodiments oxide thin films are selectively deposited on a first surface of a substrate relative to a second surface, such as on a dielectric surface relative to a metal or metallic surface.

Metal silicates or phosphates are deposited on a heated substrate by the reaction of vapors of alkoxysilanols or alkylphosphates along with reactive metal amides, alkyls or alkoxides. For example, vapors of tris(tert-butoxy)silanol react with vapors of tetrakis(ethylmethylamido) hafnium to deposit hafnium silicate on surfaces heated to 300 C. The product film has a very uniform stoichiometry throughout the reactor. Similarly, vapors of diisopropylphosphate react with vapors of lithium bis(ethyldimethylsilyl)amide to deposit lithium phosphate films on substrates heated to 250 C. Supplying the vapors in alternating pulses produces these same compositions with a very uniform distribution of thickness and excellent step coverage.

A method for depositing a thin film onto a substrate is disclosed. In particular, the method forms a transitional metal silicate onto the substrate. The transitional metal silicate may comprise a lanthanum silicate or yttrium silicate, for example. The transitional metal silicate indicates reliability as well as good electrical characteristics for use in a gate dielectric material.