A semiconductor structure has a frontside and a backside. The semiconductor structure includes an isolation structure at the backside; one or more transistors at the frontside, wherein the one or more transistors have source/drain electrodes; two metal plugs through the isolation structure and contacting two of the source/drain electrodes from the backside, wherein the two metal plugs and the isolation structure form sidewalls of a trench; and a dielectric liner on the sidewalls of the trench, wherein the dielectric liner partially or fully surrounds an air gap within the trench.

A method of preparing a polishing composition includes forming a dispersion solution containing ceria particles, and irradiating ultraviolet (UV) light onto the dispersion solution.

A method includes forming a first through-via from a first conductive pad of a first device die, and forming a second through-via from a second conductive pad of a second device die. The first and second conductive pads are at top surfaces of the first and the second device dies, respectively. The first and the second conductive pads may be used as seed layers. The second device die is adhered to the top surface of the first device die. The method further includes encapsulating the first and the second device dies and the first and the second through-vias in an encapsulating material, with the first and the second device dies and the first and the second through-vias encapsulated in a same encapsulating process. The encapsulating material is planarized to reveal the first and the second through-vias. Redistribution lines are formed to electrically couple to the first and the second through-vias.

A method of fabricating fully self-aligned vias includes performing a first deposition process, forming a second dielectric layer, performing a first chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) process, performing a selective removal plasma process to form second vias, performing a second deposition process to deposit an etch stop layer in the second vias, performing a third deposition process, forming a third dielectric layer, performing a second CMP process, performing a first lithography-and-etch process to form third vias in the third dielectric layer, performing a fourth deposition process to form a second metal layer in the third vias, performing a fourth CMP process, performing a fifth deposition process to form a third metal layer of third metal, performing a sixth deposition process to form a second hardmask, performing a second lithography-and-etch process, performing an over etch, performing a seventh deposition process, forming a fourth dielectric layer, performing a fifth CMP process.

The present disclosure provides one embodiment of a semiconductor structure. The semiconductor structure includes a first active region and a second fin active region extruded from a semiconductor substrate; an isolation featured formed in the semiconductor substrate and being interposed between the first and second fin active regions; a dielectric gate disposed on the isolation feature; a first gate stack disposed on the first fin active region and a second gate stack disposed on the second fin active region; a first source/drain feature formed in the first fin active region and interposed between the first gate stack and the dielectric gate; a second source/drain feature formed in the second fin active region and interposed between the second gate stack and the dielectric gate; a contact feature formed in a first inter-level dielectric material layer and landing on the first and second source/drain features and extending over the dielectric gate.

A method for shallow trench isolation structures in a semiconductor device and a semiconductor device including the shallow trench isolation structures are disclosed. In an embodiment, the method may include forming a trench in a substrate; depositing a first dielectric liner in the trench; depositing a first shallow trench isolation (STI) material over the first dielectric liner, the first STI material being deposited as a conformal layer; etching the first STI material; depositing a second STI material over the first STI material, the second STI material being deposited as a flowable material; and planarizing the second STI material such that top surfaces of the second STI material are co-planar with top surfaces of the substrate.

A semiconductor device is disclosed. The semiconductor device includes a via passivation layer disposed on an inactive surface of a substrate, a through-electrode vertically penetrating the substrate and the via passivation layer, a concave portion formed in the top surface of the via passivation layer and disposed adjacent to the through-electrode, and a via protective layer coplanar with the via passivation layer and the through-electrode and to fill the concave portion. In a horizontal cross-sectional view, the via protective layer has a band shape surrounding the through-electrode.

The present disclosure is to provide a polishing pad which is capable of providing physical properties corresponding to various polishing purposes for various polishing objects through the subdivided structural design in a thickness direction, and of securing environmental friendliness by applying a recycled or recyclable material to at least some components, in relation to disposal after use, unlike the conventional polishing pad. Specifically, the polishing pad includes a polishing layer, wherein the polishing layer includes a polishing variable layer having a polishing surface; and a polishing constant layer disposed on a rear surface side of the polishing variable layer opposite to the polishing surface, and wherein the polishing constant layer includes a cured product of a composition having thermosetting polyurethane particles and a binder.

A semiconductor device includes a metal component covered by a passivation layer, wherein the metal component has a top surface and the passivation layer includes an outer layer which is substantially planar. The outer layer of the passivation layer does not extend below the top surface of the metal component.

A planarization method includes forming a dielectric layer over a polish stop layer. The dielectric layer is polished until reaching the polish stop layer, and the polished dielectric layer has a concave top surface. A compensation layer is formed over the concave top surface. The compensation layer is polished.