A semiconductor device and a method of forming the same are provided. The method includes forming a sacrificial gate structure over an active region. A first spacer layer is formed along sidewalls and a top surface of the sacrificial gate structure. A first protection layer is formed over the first spacer layer. A second spacer layer is formed over the first protection layer. A third spacer layer is formed over the second spacer layer. The sacrificial gate structure is replaced with a replacement gate structure. The second spacer layer is removed to form an air gap between the first protection layer and the third spacer layer.

There is provided a substrate processing apparatus that includes a process chamber in which at least one substrate is processed; a gas supplier configured to supply a gas; and a buffer structure. The buffer structure includes at least two plasma generation regions in which gas is converted into plasma by a pair of electrodes connected to a high-frequency power supply and an electrode to be grounded, a first gas supply port that supplies a gas generated in a first plasma generation region among the at least two plasma generation regions, and a second gas supply port that supplies a gas generated in a second plasma generation region among the at least two plasma generation regions.

Methods and systems for forming a structure including multiple carbon layers and structures formed using the method or system are disclosed. Exemplary methods include forming a first carbon layer and a second carbon layer, wherein a density and/or other property of the first carbon layer differs from the corresponding property of the second carbon layer.

Provided is processing of a substrate including: forming film on substrate by performing cycle, multiple times, including non-simultaneously performing: (a) supplying precursor gas and inert gas to the substrate; and (b) supplying reaction gas to the substrate. In (a), at least one of the precursor and inert gas stored in first tank is supplied to the substrate, and at least one of the precursor and inert gas stored in second tank is supplied to the substrate. A concentration of the precursor gas in the first tank differs from that in the second tank. Further, in (a), the at least one of the precursor and inert gas is supplied from the first tank to the substrate, and the at least one of the precursor and inert gas is supplied from the second tank to the substrate to suppress multiple adsorption of molecules constituting the precursor gas on the substrate's surface.

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to methods for depositing an amorphous carbon layer onto a substrate, including over previously formed layers on the substrate, using a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) process. In particular, the methods described herein utilize a combination of RF AC power and pulsed DC power to create a plasma which deposits an amorphous carbon layer with a high ratio of sp3 (diamond-like) carbon to sp2 (graphite-like) carbon. The methods also provide for lower processing pressures, lower processing temperatures, and higher processing powers, each of which, alone or in combination, may further increase the relative fraction of sp3 carbon in the deposited amorphous carbon layer. As a result of the higher sp3 carbon fraction, the methods described herein provide amorphous carbon layers having improved density, rigidity, etch selectivity, and film stress as compared to amorphous carbon layers deposited by conventional methods.

A method of patterning a substrate. The method may include providing a cavity in a layer, disposed on the substrate, the cavity having a first length along a first direction and a first width along a second direction, perpendicular to the first direction, and wherein the layer has a first height along a third direction, perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction. The method may include depositing a sacrificial layer over the cavity in a first deposition procedure; and directing angled ions to the cavity in a first exposure, wherein the cavity is etched, and wherein after the first exposure, the cavity has a second length along the first direction, greater than the first length, and wherein the cavity has a second width along the second direction, no greater than the first width.

An amorphous carbon hard mask is formed having low hydrogen content and low sp3 carbon bonding but high modulus and hardness. The amorphous carbon hard mask is formed by depositing an amorphous carbon layer at a low temperature in a plasma deposition chamber and treating the amorphous carbon layer to a dual plasma-thermal treatment. The dual plasma-thermal treatment includes exposing the amorphous carbon layer to inert gas plasma for implanting an inert gas species in the amorphous carbon layer and exposing the amorphous carbon layer to a high temperature. The amorphous carbon hard mask has high etch selectivity relative to underlying materials.

Various embodiments herein relate to methods and apparatus for depositing silicon oxide using thermal ALD or thermal CVD. In one aspect of the disclosed embodiments, a method for depositing silicon oxide is provided, the method including: (a) receiving the substrate in a reaction chamber; (b) introducing a first flow of a first reactant into the reaction chamber and exposing the substrate to the first reactant, where the first reactant includes a silicon-containing reactant; (c) introducing a second flow of a second reactant into the reaction chamber to cause a reaction between the first reactant and the second reactant, (i) where the second reactant includes hydrogen (H2) and an oxygen-containing reactant, (ii) where the reaction deposits silicon oxide on the substrate, and (iii) where the reaction is initiated when a pressure in the reaction chamber is greater than 10 Torr and equal to or less than about 40 Torr.

There is provided a high dielectric film including amorphous hydrocarbon of which a dielectric constant is 10 or more. A leakage current of the high dielectric film is 1 A/cm.sup.2 or less, and an insulation level is 1 MV/cm or more. Rms surface roughness of the high dielectric film is 20 nm or less.

A method for fabricating a semiconductor device includes forming a first wiring layer, the first wiring layer including a first metal wiring and a first interlayer insulating film wrapping the first metal wiring on a substrate, forming a first via layer, the first via layer including a first via that is in electrical connection with the first metal wiring, and a second interlayer insulating film wrapping the first via on the first wiring layer, and forming a second wiring layer, the second wiring layer including a second metal wiring that is in electrical connection with the first via, and a third interlayer insulating film wrapping the second metal wiring on the first via layer, wherein the third interlayer insulating film contains deuterium and is formed through chemical vapor deposition using a first gas containing deuterium and a second gas containing hydrogen.