A method for selectively etching layers of a first material with respect to layers of a second material in a stack is provided. The layers of the first material are partially etched with respect to the layers of the second material. A deposition layer is selectively deposited on the stack, wherein portions of the deposition layer covering the layers of the second material are thicker than portions covering the layers of the first material, the selective depositing comprising providing a first reactant, purging some of the first reactant, wherein some undeposited first reactant is not purged, and providing a second reactant, wherein the undeposited first reactant combines with the second reactant and selectively deposits on the layers of the second material with respect to the layers of the first material. The layers of the first material are selectively etched with respect to the layers of the second material.

In a plasma processing method, a substrate is loaded onto a lower electrode within a chamber. A plasma power is applied to form plasma within the chamber. A voltage function of a nonsinusoidal wave having a DC pulse portion and a ramp portion is generated. Generating the voltage function may include setting a slope of the ramp portion and setting a duration ratio of the ramp portion to a cycle of the voltage function in order to control an ion energy distribution generated at a surface of the substrate. A bias power of the nonsinusoidal wave is applied to the lower electrode.

A method of cutting fins includes the following steps. A photomask including a snake-shape pattern is provided. A photoresist layer is formed over fins on a substrate. A photoresist pattern in the photoresist layer corresponding to the snake-shape pattern is formed by exposing and developing. The fins are cut by transferring the photoresist pattern and etching cut parts of the fins.

Methods of forming semiconductor devices are provided. The methods include: forming a trench in a substrate, wherein the trench includes a defect protruding from a bottom surface of the trench; forming a flowable material on the substrate to at least partially cover the defect; performing an etching process to reduce the height of the defect; and removing the flowable material.

A semiconductor substrate includes a first material layer made of a first material and including a plurality of protrusions, and a second material layer made of a second material different from the first material, filling spaces between the plurality of protrusions, and covering the plurality of protrusions. Each of the protrusions includes a tip and a plurality of facets converging at the tip, and adjacent facets of adjacent protrusions are in contact with each other,

A method includes forming an anti-punch-through layer over a first region and a second region of a substrate, forming a semiconductor layer over the anti-punch-through layer, patterning the semiconductor layer and the anti-punch-through layer to form a first plurality of fins over the first region and a second plurality of fins over the second region, and forming a patterned resist layer over the first plurality of fins and the second plurality of fins. The method also includes recessing a portion of the substrate between the first plurality of fins and the second plurality of fins in an etching process through openings of the patterned resist layer.

A device includes a semiconductor substrate having a first region and a second region. The device further includes a first pair of fin structures within the first region. The device further includes a second pair of fin structures within the second region. A top surface of the semiconductor surface between fin structures within the first pair is higher than a top surface of the semiconductor surface between the first pair and the second pair.

Method for fabricating a semiconductor structure is provided. First features are formed in a first product region of each die area and in a material layer through a first mask. Second features are formed in a second product region of each die area and in the material layer through a second mask. Third features are formed in a third product region of each die area and in the material layer through a third mask. Fourth features are formed in a fourth product region of each die area and in the material layer through a fourth mask. Fifth features are formed in an alignment region between the first, second, third and fourth product regions of each die area and in the material layer through the first, second, third and fourth masks. The first product region is free of the second, third, and fourth features.

A semiconductor device includes a substrate, first and second semiconductor strips, a dummy fin structure, first and second channel layers, a gate structure, and crystalline and amorphous hard mask layers. The first and second semiconductor strips extend upwardly from the substrate and each has a length extending along a first direction. The dummy fin structure is laterally between the first and second semiconductor strips. The first and second channel layers extend in the first direction above the first and second semiconductor strips and are arranged in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the substrate. The crystalline hard mask layer extends upwardly from the dummy fin structure and has an U-shaped cross section. The amorphous hard mask layer is in the crystalline hard mask layer. The amorphous hard mask layer has an U-shaped cross section conformal to the U-shaped cross section of the crystalline hard mask layer.

A method for forming a through-substrate via structure includes providing a substrate and providing a conductive via structure adjacent to a first surface of the substrate. The method includes providing a recessed region on an opposite surface of the substrate towards the conductive via structure. The method includes providing an insulator in the recessed region and providing a conductive region extending along a first sidewall surface of the recessed region in the cross-sectional view. In some examples, the first conductive region is provided to be coupled to the conductive via structure and to be further along at least a portion of the opposite surface of the substrate outside of the recessed region. The method includes providing a protective structure within the recessed region over a first portion of the first conductive region but not over a second portion of the first conductive region that is outside of the recessed region. The method includes attaching a conductive bump to the second portion of the first conductive region.