There is provided a technique that includes: (a) supplying a first gas containing a predetermined element to the substrate; (b) supplying a second gas containing carbon and nitrogen to the substrate; (c) supplying a nitrogen-containing gas activated by plasma to the substrate; (d) supplying an oxygen-containing gas to the substrate; and (e) forming a film containing at least the predetermined element, oxygen, carbon, and nitrogen on the substrate by: performing a cycle a first number of times of two or more, the cycle performing (a) to (d); or performing a cycle once or more, the cycle performing (a) to (d) in this order.

A semiconductor device including a barrier layer surrounding a work function metal layer and methods of forming the same are disclosed. In an embodiment, a semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate; a first channel region over the semiconductor substrate; a second channel region over the first channel region; gate dielectric layers surrounding the first channel region and the second channel region; work function metal layers surrounding the gate dielectric layers; and barrier layers surrounding the work function metal layers, a first barrier layer surrounding the first channel region being merged with a second barrier layer surrounding the second channel region.

An air gap forming method of forming an air gap in a gap structure having an upper surface, a lower surface, and a sidewall connecting the upper and lower surface, includes: repeatedly performing a selective deposition cycle, wherein the selective deposition cycle includes supplying a deposition inhibitor onto a substrate including the gap structure; and selectively forming a material layer on the upper surface compared to the sidewall.

A method for manufacturing a metal fluoride-containing organic polymer film includes forming an organic polymer film on a base body. The method includes exposing the organic polymer film to an organometallic compound containing a first metal, thereby infiltrating the organic polymer film with the organometallic compound. The method includes exposing the organic polymer film infiltrated with the organometallic compound to hydrogen fluoride, thereby providing a fluoride of the first metal in the organic polymer film.

A method includes providing a substrate including metal gate stacks and source/drain contact regions in alternating arrangement along a surface of the substrate with a dielectric spacer separating each source/drain contact region from adjacent metal gate stacks. Each source/drain region is recessed within an opening between adjacent metal gate stacks such that source/drain contact regions provide a bottom of the recess and dielectric spacers provide sidewalls. The etch stop layer is formed on the substrate such that it conformally covers the metal gate stacks, the sidewalls and the bottom of each recess, and a sacrificial layer is formed over each of the metal gate stacks and on at least a portion of each sidewall. The etch stop layer is removed from the bottom of each recess to expose the source/drain contact, and the sacrificial layer is then removed from the metal gate stacks and the sidewalls of each recess.

A patterning method includes at least the following steps. A first material layer is provided. A second material layer is provided over the first material layer. The second material layer partially exposes the first material layer. A passivation layer is formed over the first material layer and the second material layer. A growth rate of the passivation layer on the second material layer is greater than a growth rate of the passivation layer on the first material layer. A first etching process is performed to remove a portion of the passivation layer and a portion of the first material layer.

A method and structure for modulating a threshold voltage of a device. In various embodiments, a fin extending from a substrate is provided. In some embodiments, the fin includes a plurality of semiconductor channel layers defining a channel region for a P-type transistor. In some examples, a gate dielectric is formed wrapping around each of the plurality of semiconductor channel layers of the P-type transistor. In some cases, a P-type work function (PWF) metal gate cap is formed wrapping around the gate dielectric. In various embodiments, the PWF metal gate cap merges between adjacent semiconductor channel layers of the plurality of channel layers. Additionally, in some examples, the PWF metal gate cap includes a plurality of nitrogen-containing layers.

A substrate treatment method for treating a substrate, includes: applying a coating solution containing an organometallic complex, a solvent, and an additive to the substrate to form a solution film of the coating solution; heating the substrate on which the solution film of the coating solution has been formed, to form an organic constituent-containing metal oxide film being a metal oxide film containing an organic constituent contained in the additive; performing dry etching using the organic constituent-containing metal oxide film as a mask; removing the organic constituent in the organic constituent-containing metal oxide film after the dry etching; and removing, by wet etching, a film obtained by removing the organic constituent from the organic constituent-containing metal oxide film.

A topology-selective deposition method is disclosed. An exemplary method includes providing an inhibition agent comprising a first nitrogen-containing gas, providing a deposition promotion agent comprising a second nitrogen-containing gas to form an activated surface on one or more of a top surface, a bottom surface, and a sidewall surface relative to one or more of the other of the top surface, the bottom surface, and the sidewall surface, and providing a precursor to react with the activated surface to thereby selectively form material comprising a nitride on the activated surface.

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming a plurality of work function metal layers and an oxygen absorbing layer over a channel region of the semiconductor device, including forming a first work function metal layer over the channel region, forming an oxygen absorbing layer over the first work function metal layer, forming a second work function metal layer over the oxygen absorbing layer. A gate electrode metal layer is formed over the plurality of work function metal layers. The work function metal layers, oxygen absorbing layer, and gate electrode metal layer are made of different materials.