A semiconductor device includes etch stop films formed on the first gate electrode, the first source region, the first drain region, and the shallow trench isolation regions, respectively. First interlayer insulating films are formed on the etch stop film, respectively. Deep trenches are formed in the substrate between adjacent ones of the first interlayer insulating films to overlap the shallow trench isolation regions. Sidewall insulating films are formed in the deep trenches, respectively. A gap-fill insulating film is formed on the sidewall insulating film. A second interlayer insulating film is formed on the gap-fill insulating film. A top surface of the second interlayer insulating film is substantially planar and a bottom surface of the second interlayer insulating film is undulating.

The present disclosure provides a slurry. The slurry includes an abrasive including a ceria compound; a removal rate regulator to adjust removal rates of the slurry to metal and to dielectric material; and a buffering agent to adjust a pH value of the slurry, wherein the slurry comprises a dielectric material removal rate higher than a metal oxide removal rate.

A manufacturing method of a through substrate via includes at least the following steps. A protective liner is formed within an opening of a dielectric layer, where the opening exposes a portion of a semiconductor substrate underlying the dielectric layer. The portion of the semiconductor substrate is removed through the opening, where an overhang portion is formed at a top edge of the semiconductor substrate and masked by the protective liner after the removing. The overhang portion of the semiconductor substrate, the protective liner, and a portion of the dielectric layer adjoining the protective liner is removed to form a via hole. A conductive material is formed in the via hole.

Sacrificial plugs for forming contacts in integrated circuits, as well as methods of forming connections in integrated circuit arrays are disclosed. Various pattern transfer and etching steps can be used to create densely-packed features and the connections between features. A sacrificial material can be patterned in a continuous zig-zag line pattern that crosses word lines. Planarization can create parallelogram-shaped blocks of material that can overlie active areas to form sacrificial plugs, which can be replaced with conductive material to form contacts.

An object of the present invention is to improve a substrate processing apparatus using the CARE method. The present invention provides a substrate processing apparatus for polishing a processing target region of a substrate by bringing the substrate and a catalyst into contact with each other in the presence of processing liquid. The substrate processing apparatus includes a substrate holding unit configured to hold the substrate, a catalyst holding unit configured to hold the catalyst, and a driving unit configured to move the substrate holding unit and the catalyst holding unit relative to each other with the processing target region of the substrate and the catalyst kept in contact with each other. The catalyst is smaller than the substrate.

A nonplanar circuit device having a strain-producing structure disposed under the channel region is provided. In an exemplary embodiment, the integrated circuit device includes a substrate with a first fin structure and a second fin structure disposed on the substrate. An isolation feature trench is defined between the first fin structure and the second fin structure. The circuit device also includes a strain feature disposed on a horizontal surface of the substrate within the isolation feature trench. The strain feature may be configured to produce a strain on a channel region of a transistor formed on the first fin structure. The circuit device also includes a fill dielectric disposed on the strain feature within the isolation feature trench. In some such embodiments, the strain feature is further disposed on a vertical surface of the first fin structure and on a vertical surface of the second fin structure.

A semiconductor device includes a first fin, a second fin, a first gate electrode having a first portion that at least partially wraps around an upper portion of the first fin and a second portion that at least partially wraps around an upper portion of the second fin, a second gate electrode having a portion that at least partially wraps around the upper portion of the first fin, and a gate-cut feature having a first portion in the first gate electrode between the first and second portions of the first gate electrode. The gate-cut feature is at least partially filled with one or more dielectric materials. In a direction of a longitudinal axis of the first fin, the gate-cut feature has a second portion extending to a sidewall of the second gate electrode.

A semiconductor structure includes a semiconductor fin protruding from a substrate and oriented lengthwise along a first direction, a dielectric fin disposed over the substrate and oriented lengthwise along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, where the dielectric fin defines a sidewall of the semiconductor fin along the second direction and where the dielectric fin includes a first dielectric layer disposed over a second dielectric layer that differs from the first dielectric layer in composition, and a metal gate stack disposed over the semiconductor fin and oriented lengthwise along the second direction.

A semiconductor structure includes fins that have a 2D material, such as Graphene, upon at least the fin sidewalls. The thickness of the 2D material sidewall may be tuned to achieve desired finFET band gap control. Neighboring fins of the semiconductor structure form fin wells. The semiconductor structure may include a fin cap upon each fin and the 2D material is formed upon the sidewalls of the fin and the bottom surface of the fin wells. The semiconductor structure may include a well-plug at the bottom of the fin wells and the 2D material is formed upon the sidewalls and upper surface of the fins. The semiconductor structure may include both fin caps and well-plugs such that the 2D material is formed upon the sidewalls of the fins.

A semiconductor structure and a method of fabricating the semiconductor structure are provided. The semiconductor structure includes a substrate; a metal gate structure on the substrate; and a spacer next to the metal gate structure having a skirting part extending into the metal gate structure and contacting the substrate. The metal gate structure includes a high-k dielectric layer and a metal gate electrode on the high-k dielectric layer.