The disclosed subject matter provides a method for fabricating a three-dimensional transistor. The method includes forming an active region and two isolation structures on a semiconductor substrate. The active region is formed between the two isolation structures. The method further includes forming a photoresist layer on the active region and the isolation structures, forming an opening in the photoresist layer to expose a top surface of the active region and a portion of a top surface of each isolation structure, and then forming a trench on each side of the active region by removing a portion of the corresponding isolation structure exposed in the opening through an etching process using the photoresist layer as an etch mask. After the etching process, the portion of the active region between the two trenches becomes a three-dimensional fin structure. The disclosed method simplifies fabrication process for three-dimensional transistors and reduces product cost.

A semiconductor structure includes filled dual reinforcing trenches that reduce curvature of the semiconductor structure by stiffening the semiconductor structure. The filled dual reinforcing trenches reduce curvature by acting against transverse loading, axial loading, and/or torsional loading of the semiconductor structure that would otherwise result in semiconductor structure curvature. The filled dual reinforcing trenches may be located in an array throughout the semiconductor structure, in particular locations within the semiconductor structure, or at the perimeter of the semiconductor structure.

A semiconductor device with reinforced gate spacers and a method of fabricating the same. The semiconductor device includes low-k dielectric gate spacers adjacent to a gate structure. A high-k dielectric material is disposed over an upper surface of the low-k dielectric gate spacers to prevent unnecessary contact between the gate structure and a self-aligned contact structure. The high-k dielectric material may be disposed, if desired, over an upper surface of the gate structure to provide additional isolation of the gate structure from the self-aligned contact structure.

A varactor transistor includes a semiconductor fin having a first conductivity type, a plurality of gate structures separated from each other and surrounding a portion of the semiconductor fin. The plurality of gates structures include a dummy gate structure on an edge of the semiconductor fin, and a first gate structure spaced apart from the dummy gate structure. The dummy gate structure and the gate structure each include a gate insulator layer on a surface portion of the semiconductor fin, a gate on the gate insulator layer, and a spacer on the gate. The varactor transistor also includes a raised source/drain region on the semiconductor fin and between the dummy gate structure and the first gate structure, the raised source/drain region and the gate of the dummy gate structure being electrically connected to a same potential.

A method for forming a semiconductor device includes providing a substrate structure, which has a semiconductor substrate and a semiconductor fin on the substrate. The method also includes forming a catalytic material layer overlying the semiconductor fins, and forming an isolation region covering the catalytic material layer in a lower portion of the semiconductor fins. Next, a graphene nanoribbon is formed on the catalytic material layer on an upper portion of the semiconductor fin, and a gate structure is formed on the graphene nanoribbon.

A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device includes providing a substrate structure including a semiconductor fin on a substrate, and a trench isolation structure surrounding the fin and having an upper surface flush with an upper surface of the fin and including first and second trench isolation portions on opposite sides of the fin along the fin longitudinal direction, and third and fourth trench isolation portions on distal ends of the fin along a second direction intersecting the longitudinal direction; forming a patterned first hardmask layer having an opening exposing an upper surface of the third and fourth trench isolation portions; and forming a first insulator layer filling the opening to form an insulating portion including a portion of the first insulator layer in the opening and a portion of the trench isolation structure below the portion of the first insulator layer in the opening.

Semiconductor devices, FinFET devices and methods of forming the same are provided. In accordance with some embodiments, a semiconductor device includes a substrate, a first gate stack, a spacer, a first dielectric layer, a shielding layer and a connector. The first gate stack is over the substrate. The spacer is disposed on and contacted to at least one sidewall of the first gate stack. The first dielectric layer is aside the spacer. The shielding layer covers a top surface of the spacer and a top surface of the first dielectric layer. The connector contacts a portion of a top surface of the first gate stack.

A method of forming a fin field effect transistor (finFET) having fin(s) with reduced dimensional variations, including forming a dummy fin trench within a perimeter of a fin pattern region on a substrate, forming a dummy fin fill in the dummy fin trench, forming a plurality of vertical fins within the perimeter of the fin pattern region, including border fins at the perimeter of the fin pattern region and interior fins located within the perimeter and inside the bounds of the border fins, wherein the border fins are formed from the dummy fin fill, and removing the border fins, wherein the border fins are dummy fins and the interior fins are active vertical fins.

An interconnect structure including a semiconductor structure on a semiconductor substrate, the semiconductor structure having a gate structure, shallow trench isolation and a source and a drain; a trench adjacent to the gate structure; a metal line adjacent to the gate structure and filling the trench, the metal line contacts one of the source and the drain; a gap in the metal line so as to create segments of the metal line; and a dielectric material filling the gap such that ends of the metal line abut the dielectric material wherein the ends of the metal line have a flat surface.

One method disclosed herein includes, among other things, forming a process layer on a substrate. A patterned mask layer is formed above the process layer. The patterned mask layer includes first openings exposing portions of the process layer. A carbon-containing silicon dioxide layer is formed above the patterned mask layer and in the first openings. The carbon-containing silicon dioxide layer is planarized to remove portions extending outside the first openings and generate a plurality of mask elements from remaining portions of the carbon-containing silicon dioxide layer. The patterned mask layer is removed. The process layer is etched using the mask elements as an etch mask.