The present invention relates to an aqueous chemical composition C for removing from a substrate selectively under heat residues of a nickel-platinum alloy containing at least 8% by weight of Pt compared to the total weight of nickel-platinum alloy, characterised in that it is prepared by mixing a composition B comprising bromide ions and a composition H comprising hydrogen peroxide such that in the composition C, at the moment of mixing, the molar concentration of bromide ions is comprised between 0.15 mol/L and 0.45 mol/L and the molar ratio of hydrogen peroxide with respect to bromide ions is comprised between 1.1 and 2. The invention also pertains to a method for selectively removing nickel-platinum alloy residues containing at least 8% by weight of Pt compared to the total weight of nickel-platinum alloy from a substrate, comprising the following steps: preparing under heat a chemical composition C according to any one of claims 1 to 3, placing the hot chemical composition C and the substrate in contact for a sufficient duration to remove the nickel-platinum alloy residues from the substrate.

LDMOS transistor structures and integrated circuits including LDMOS transistor structures are provided. An exemplary integrated circuit including an LDMOS transistor structure includes a substrate including a first region and a second region. The substrate includes a bulk layer and, in the second region, an insulator layer overlying the bulk layer and a semiconductor layer overlying the insulator layer. The integrated circuit further includes a gate structure overlying the semiconductor layer. A channel region is formed in the semiconductor layer under the gate structure. The integrated circuit also includes a well contact region on the bulk layer in the first region, a source region overlying the substrate, and a drain region overlying the substrate. A drift region is located between the drain region and the gate structure.

A semiconductor device has a silicide source/drain region is fabricated by growing silicon on an epitaxial region including silicon and either germanium or carbon. In the method, a gate electrode is formed on a semiconductor substrate with a gate insulating layer interposed therebetween. An epitaxial layer is formed in the semiconductor substrate at both sides of the gate electrodes. A silicon layer is formed to cap the epitaxial layer. The silicon layer and a metal material are reacted to form a silicide layer. In a PMOS, the epitaxial layer has a top surface and inclined side surfaces that are exposed above the upper surface of the active region. The silicon layer is grown on the epitaxial layer in such a way as to cap the top and inclined surfaces.

A semiconductor device includes a first dielectric layer on a substrate, the first dielectric layer including a first dielectric portion over a first doped well region of a first conductivity type and a second dielectric portion over a second doped well region of a second conductivity type, and a second dielectric layer on the substrate directly adjacent the first dielectric layer. The second dielectric layer is over the second doped well region. A first conductive gate structure is over the first and second dielectric layers. A third dielectric layer is on the substrate over the second doped well region and separated a first distance from the second dielectric layer. A second conductive gate structure is over the third dielectric layer. A third doped region of the second conductivity type is implanted in the second doped well region a second distance from the third dielectric layer and the second conductive gate structure.

A method of fabricating a power semiconductor device includes: forming at least one lateral diffused metal-oxide-semiconductor (LDMOS) structure having a first fully silicided gate including a first metal silicide material; and forming at least one complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) structure integrated with the LDMOS structure on a same substrate, the CMOS structure having a second fully silicided gate including a second metal silicide material. The first metal silicide material preferably includes tungsten silicide and the second metal silicide material includes a material other than tungsten silicide.

A method is disclosed wherein a gate, having a gate cap and a sacrificial gate sidewall spacer, is formed adjacent to channel region(s) of a transistor and metal plugs, having plug caps, are formed on source/drain regions. The sacrificial gate sidewall spacer is selectively etched, creating a cavity that exposes sidewalls of the gate and gate cap. Optionally, the sidewalls of the gate cap are etched back to widen the upper portion of the cavity. A dielectric spacer layer is deposited to form an air-gap gate sidewall spacer within the cavity. Since different materials are used for the plug caps, gate cap and dielectric spacer layer, a subsequently formed gate contact opening will be self-aligned to the gate. Thus, a gate contact can be formed over an active region (or close thereto) without risk of gate contact-to-metal plug shorting. A structure formed according to the method is also disclosed.

Semiconductor devices and fabrication methods thereof are provided. An exemplary fabrication method includes providing a base substrate; forming gate structures over the base substrate; forming doped source/drain regions in the base substrate at two sides of each of the gate structures; forming an oxide layer on each of the doped source/drain regions; forming a metal layer on the oxide layer; and performing a reactive thermal annealing process, such that the metal layer reacts with a material of the oxide layer and a material of the doped source/drain regions to form a metal contact layer on each of the doped source/drain regions. The metal contact layer includes a first metal contact layer on the doped source/drain region, an oxygen-containing metal contact layer on the first metal contact layer, and a second metal contact layer on the oxygen-containing metal contact layer.

A semiconductor device includes a substrate having a source feature and a drain feature therein configured to enhance charge mobility, a gate stack directly over a portion of the source feature and a portion of the drain feature, a first salicide layer over substantially the entire source feature exposed by the gate stack, and a second salicide layer over substantially the entire drain feature exposed by the gate stack. The first salicide layer has a germanium concentration greater than about 0% by weight and less than about 3% by weight. The second salicide layer has a germanium concentration greater than about 0% by weight and less than about 3% by weight.

A semiconductor device includes a first dielectric layer on a substrate, the first dielectric layer including a first dielectric portion over a first doped well region of a first conductivity type and a second dielectric portion over a second doped well region of a second conductivity type, and a second dielectric layer on the substrate directly adjacent the first dielectric layer. The second dielectric layer is over the second doped well region. A first conductive gate structure is over the first and second dielectric layers. A third dielectric layer is on the substrate over the second doped well region and separated a first distance from the second dielectric layer. A second conductive gate structure is over the third dielectric layer. A third doped region of the second conductivity type is implanted in the second doped well region a second distance from the third dielectric layer and the second conductive gate structure.

An integrated circuit structure includes a gate stack over a semiconductor substrate, and an opening extending into the semiconductor substrate, wherein the opening is adjacent to the gate stack. A first silicon germanium region is disposed in the opening, wherein the first silicon germanium region has a first germanium percentage. A second silicon germanium region is overlying the first silicon germanium region, wherein the second silicon germanium region has a second germanium percentage higher than the first germanium percentage. A metal silicide region is over and in contact with the second silicon germanium region.