Embodiments of the disclosure are in the field of advanced integrated circuit structure fabrication and, in particular, 10 nanometer node and smaller integrated circuit structure fabrication and the resulting structures. In an example, an integrated circuit structure includes first and second gate dielectric layers over a fin. First and second gate electrodes are over the first and second gate dielectric layers, respectively, the first and second gate electrodes both having an insulating cap having a top surface. First dielectric spacer are adjacent the first side of the first gate electrode. A trench contact structure is over a semiconductor source or drain region adjacent first and second dielectric spacers, the trench contact structure comprising an insulating cap on a conductive structure, the insulating cap of the trench contact structure having a top surface substantially co-planar with the insulating caps of the first and second gate electrodes.

A semiconductor device can include: a substrate having a first doping type; a first well region located in the substrate and having a second doping type, where the first well region is located at opposite sides of a first region of the substrate; a source region and a drain region located in the first region, where the source region has the second doping type, and the drain region has the second doping type; and a buried layer having the second doping type located in the substrate and below the first region, where the buried layer is incontact with the first well region, where the first region is surrounded by the buried layer and the first well region, and the first doping type is opposite to the second doping type.

A semiconductor device may include first channels on a first region of a substrate and spaced apart from each other in a vertical direction substantially perpendicular to an upper surface of the substrate, second channels on a second region of the substrate and spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction, a first gate structure on the first region of the substrate and covering at least a portion of a surface of each of the first channels, and a second gate structure on the second region of the substrate and covering at least a portion of a surface of each of the second channels. The second channels may be disposed at heights substantially the same as those of corresponding ones of the first channels, and a height of a lowermost one of the second channels may be greater than a height of a lowermost one of the first channels.

A semiconductor device structure, along with methods of forming such, are described. The semiconductor device structure includes a first source/drain epitaxial feature disposed in an NMOS region, a second source/drain epitaxial feature disposed in the NMOS region, a first dielectric feature disposed between the first source/drain epitaxial feature and the second source/drain epitaxial feature, a third source/drain epitaxial feature disposed in a PMOS region, a second dielectric feature disposed between the second source/drain epitaxial feature and the third source/drain epitaxial feature, and a conductive feature disposed over the first, second, and third source/drain epitaxial features and the first and second dielectric features.

A method for smoothing a surface of a semiconductor portion is disclosed. In the method, an intentional oxide layer is formed on the surface of the semiconductor portion, a treated layer is formed in the semiconductor portion and inwardly of the intentional oxide layer, and then, the intentional oxide layer and the treated layer are removed to obtain a smoothed surface. The method may also be used for widening a recess in a manufacturing process for a semiconductor structure.

An integrated circuit structure having a stacked transistor architecture includes a first semiconductor body (e.g., set of one or more nanoribbons) and a second semiconductor body (e.g., set of one or more nanoribbons) above the first semiconductor body. The first and second semiconductor bodies are part of the same fin structure. The distance between an upper surface of the first semiconductor body and a lower surface of the second semiconductor body is 60 nm or less. A first gate structure is on the first semiconductor body, and a second gate structure is on the second semiconductor body. An isolation structure that includes a dielectric material is between the first and second gate structures, and on the first gate structure. In addition, at least a portion of the second gate structure is on a central portion of the isolation structure and between first and second end portions of the isolation structure.

A semiconductor device with different configurations of contact structures and a method of fabricating the same are disclosed. The method includes forming first and second fin structures on a substrate, forming n- and p-type source/drain (S/D) regions on the first and second fin structures, respectively, forming first and second oxidation stop layers on the n- and p-type S/D regions, respectively, epitaxially growing first and second semiconductor layers on the first and second oxidation stop layers, respectively, converting the first and second semiconductor layers into first and second semiconductor oxide layers, respectively, forming a first silicide-germanide layer on the p-type S/D region, and forming a second silicide-germanide layer on the first silicide-germanide layer and on the n-type S/D region.

A method includes depositing a multi-layer stack over a semiconductor substrate, the multi-layer stack including a plurality of sacrificial layers that alternate with a plurality of channel layers; forming a first recess in the multi-layer stack; forming first spacers on sidewalls of the sacrificial layers in the first recess; depositing a first semiconductor material in the first recess, where the first semiconductor material is undoped, where the first semiconductor material is in physical contact with a sidewall and a bottom surface of at least one of the first spacers; implanting dopants in the first semiconductor material, where after implanting dopants the first semiconductor material has a gradient-doped profile; and forming an epitaxial source/drain region in the first recess over the first semiconductor material, where a material of the epitaxial source/drain region is different from the first semiconductor material.

A method of forming a semiconductor device includes: forming a fin structure protruding above a substrate, where the fin structure includes a fin and a layer stack over the fin, the layer stack comprising alternating layers of a first semiconductor material and a second semiconductor material; forming a first dummy gate structure and a second dummy gate structure over the fin structure; forming an opening in the fin structure between the first dummy gate structure and the second dummy gate structure; converting an upper layer of the fin exposed at a bottom of the opening into a seed layer by performing an implantation process; selectively depositing a dielectric layer over the seed layer at the bottom of the opening; and selectively growing a source/drain material on opposing sidewalls of the second semiconductor material exposed by the opening.

A method can include ion implanting with the gate mask to form first halo regions and ion implanting with the gate mask and first spacers as a mask to form second halo regions. The gate mask and first spacers can be removed, and an epitaxial layer formed. A dummy gate mask can be formed. Ion implanting with the dummy gate mask can from source-drain extensions. Second spacers can be formed on sides of the dummy gate mask. Ion implanting with the dummy gate mask and second spacers as a mask can form source and drain regions. A surface dielectric layer can be formed and planarized to expose a top of the dummy gate. The dummy gate can be removed to form gate openings between the second spacers. A hi-K dielectric layer and at least two gate metal layers within the gate opening. Related devices are also disclosed.