A device includes a first nanostructure; a second nanostructure over the first nanostructure; a first high-k gate dielectric around the first nanostructure; a second high-k gate dielectric around the second nanostructure; and a gate electrode over the first and second high-k gate dielectrics. A portion of the gate electrode between the first nanostructure and the second nanostructure comprises: a first p-type work function metal; a barrier material over the first p-type work function metal; and a second p-type work function metal over the barrier material, the barrier material physically separating the first p-type work function metal from the second p-type work function metal.

The present disclosure describes a device that is protected from the effects of an oxide on the metal gate layers of ferroelectric field effect transistors. In some embodiments, the device includes a substrate with fins thereon; an interfacial layer on the fins; a crystallized ferroelectric layer on the interfacial layer; and a metal gate layer on the ferroelectric layer.

A semiconductor device may include a substrate, an interface insulation pattern, a gate insulation pattern, a threshold voltage controlling metal pattern and a conductive pattern. The interface insulation pattern may be formed on the substrate. The gate insulation pattern including an oxide having a dielectric constant higher than that of silicon oxide may be formed on the interface insulation pattern. The threshold voltage controlling metal pattern may be formed on the gate insulation pattern. The conductive pattern may be formed on the threshold voltage controlling metal pattern. First dopants including at least fluorine may be included within and at at least one surface of the gate insulation pattern and at an upper surface of an interface insulation pattern contacting the gate insulation pattern. The semiconductor device may have excellent electrical characteristics.

In some embodiments, a semiconductor device is provided. The semiconductor device includes a gate electrode disposed on a substrate. Source/drain regions are disposed on or within the substrate along opposing sides of the gate electrode. A noise reducing component is arranged along an upper surface of the gate electrode and/or along an upper surface of the substrate over the source/drain regions. A cap layer covers the upper surface of the gate electrode and/or the upper surface of the substrate over the source/drain regions. An inter-level dielectric (ILD) is disposed over and along one or more sidewalls of the cap layer.

Embodiment described herein provide a thermal treatment process following a high-pressure anneal process to keep hydrogen at an interface between a channel region and a gate dielectric layer in a field effect transistor while removing hydrogen from the bulk portion of the gate dielectric layer. The thermal treatment process can reduce the amount of threshold voltage shift caused by a high-pressure anneal. The high-pressure anneal and the thermal treatment process may be performed any time after formation of the gate dielectric layer, thus, causing no disruption to the existing process flow.

The present disclosure provides a semiconductor device and a method for fabricating a semiconductor device. The semiconductor device includes a substrate, a metal gate layer over the substrate, a channel between a source region and a drain region in the substrate, and a ferroelectric layer, at least a portion of the ferroelectric layer is between the metal gate layer and the substrate, wherein the ferroelectric layer includes hafnium oxide-based material, the hafnium oxide-based material includes a first portion of hafnium oxide with orthorhombic phase, a second portion of hafnium oxide with monoclinic phase, and a third portion of the hafnium oxide with tetragonal phase, wherein a first volume of the first portion is greater than a second volume of the second portion, and the second volume of the second portion is greater than a third volume the third portion.

Provided is a method of fabricating a semiconductor device including forming a device isolation layer defining active regions on a substrate and forming gate lines intersecting the active regions and buried in the substrate. The forming of the gate lines includes forming a trench crossing the active regions in the substrate, forming a conductive layer filling the trench, and performing a heat treatment process on the conductive layer. The conductive layer includes a nitride of a first metal. Nitrogen atoms in the conductive layer are diffused toward an outer surface and a lower surface of the conductive layer by the heat treatment process.

A method for forming a semiconductor device structure is provided. The method includes forming a gate dielectric layer over a substrate. The method includes forming a work function metal layer over the gate dielectric layer. The method includes forming a glue layer over the work function metal layer. The glue layer is thinner than the gate dielectric layer. The method includes forming a gate electrode over the glue layer. The gate electrode includes fluorine. The method includes annealing the gate electrode. The fluorine diffuses from the gate electrode into the gate dielectric layer.

A method includes forming a first high-k dielectric layer over a first semiconductor region, forming a second high-k dielectric layer over a second semiconductor region, forming a first metal layer comprising a first portion over the first high-k dielectric layer and a second portion over the second high-k dielectric layer, forming an etching mask over the second portion of the first metal layer, and etching the first portion of the first metal layer. The etching mask protects the second portion of the first metal layer. The etching mask is ashed using meta stable plasma. A second metal layer is then formed over the first high-k dielectric layer.

A method includes depositing a high-k gate dielectric layer over and along sidewalls of a semiconductor fin. The method further includes depositing an n-type work function metal layer over the high-k gate dielectric layer and performing a passivation treatment on the high-k gate dielectric layer through the n-type work function metal layer. The passivation treatment comprises a remote plasma process. The method further includes depositing a fill metal over the n-type work function metal layer to form a metal gate stack over the high-k gate dielectric layer. The metal gate stack comprising the n-type work function metal layer and the fill metal.