Improved gate structures, methods for forming the same, and semiconductor devices including the same are disclosed. In an embodiment, a semiconductor device includes a gate structure over a semiconductor substrate, the gate structure including a high-k dielectric layer; a gate electrode over the high-k dielectric layer; a conductive cap over and in contact with the high-k dielectric layer and the gate electrode, a top surface of the conductive cap being convex; and first gate spacers on opposite sides of the gate structure, the high-k dielectric layer and the conductive cap extending between opposite sidewalls of the first gate spacers.

A semiconductor device includes a substrate including a first active pattern and a second active pattern, a gate electrode including a first gate electrode on the first active pattern and a second gate electrode on the second active pattern, a gate cutting pattern between the first and second gate electrodes, gate spacers on opposing side surfaces of the gate electrode, and a gate capping pattern on top surfaces of the gate electrode, the gate cutting pattern, and the gate spacers and extending in the first direction. The gate cutting pattern includes a first and second side surfaces, which are opposite to each other in a second direction crossing the first direction. The first and side surfaces are in contact with respective ones of the gate spacers, and the top surface of the gate cutting pattern is closer to the substrate than the top surfaces of the pair of gate spacers.

A semiconductor device includes a substrate, a device isolation layer on the substrate, the device isolation layer defining a first active pattern, a pair of first source/drain patterns on the first active pattern, the pair of first source/drain patterns being spaced apart from each other in a first direction, and each of the pair of first source/drain patterns having a maximum first width in the first direction, a first channel pattern between the pair of first source/drain patterns, a gate electrode on the first channel pattern and extends in a second direction intersecting the first direction, and a first amorphous region in the first active pattern, the first amorphous region being below at least one of the pair of first source/drain patterns, and having a maximum second width in the first direction that is less than the maximum first width.

A novel dielectric cap structure for VTFET device fabrication is provided. In one aspect, a method of forming a VTFET device includes: patterning fins in a substrate using fin hardmasks, including a first fin(s) and a second fin(s); depositing a liner over the fins and the fin hardmasks; selectively forming first hardmask caps on top of the fin hardmasks/liner over the first fin(s); forming first bottom source and drain at a base of the first fin(s) while the fin hardmasks/liner over the first fin(s) are preserved by the first hardmask caps; selectively forming second hardmask caps on top of the fin hardmasks/liner over the second fin(s); and forming second bottom source and drains at a base of the second fin(s) while the fin hardmasks/liner over the second fin(s) are preserved by the second hardmask caps. A device structure is also provided.

A semiconductor device may include a substrate including an active pattern extending in a first direction, a gate electrode running across the active pattern and extending in a second direction intersecting the first direction, a source/drain pattern on the active pattern and adjacent to a side of the gate electrode, an active contact in a contact hole exposing the source/drain pattern, an insulating pattern filling a remaining space of the contact hole in which the active contact is provided, a first via on the active contact, and a second via on the gate electrode. The active contact may include a first segment that fills a lower portion of the contact hole and a second segment that vertically protrudes from the first segment. The first via is connected to the second segment. The insulating pattern is adjacent in the first direction to the second via.

A semiconductor device and a method of forming the same are provided. The method includes forming a sacrificial gate structure over an active region. A first spacer layer is formed along sidewalls and a top surface of the sacrificial gate structure. A first protection layer is formed over the first spacer layer. A second spacer layer is formed over the first protection layer. A third spacer layer is formed over the second spacer layer. The sacrificial gate structure is replaced with a replacement gate structure. The second spacer layer is removed to form an air gap between the first protection layer and the third spacer layer.

Disclosed are a semiconductor device and a method of fabricating the same. The semiconductor device includes an active pattern on a substrate, a device isolation layer provided on the substrate to define the active pattern, a pair of source/drain patterns on the active pattern and a channel pattern therebetween, the channel pattern including semiconductor patterns which are stacked and are spaced apart from each other, a gate electrode crossing the channel pattern, and a gate spacer on a side surface of the gate electrode. The gate spacer located on the device isolation layer includes an upper portion with a first thickness and a lower portion with a second thickness. The second thickness is larger than the first thickness, and the lower portion of the gate spacer is located at a level lower than the uppermost one of the semiconductor patterns.

A semiconductor device includes a substrate including first and second regions, first and second active patterns provided on the first and second regions, respectively, a pair of first source/drain patterns on the first active pattern and a first channel pattern therebetween, a pair of second source/drain patterns on the second active pattern and a second channel pattern therebetween, first and second gate electrodes respectively provided on the first and second channel patterns, and first and second gate insulating layers respectively interposed between the first and second channel patterns and the first and second gate electrodes. Each of the first and second gate insulating layers includes an interface layer and a first high-k dielectric layer thereon, and the first gate insulating layer further includes a second high-k dielectric layer on the first high-k dielectric layer.

The present disclosure relates to the technical field of semiconductors, and provides a semiconductor structure and a manufacturing method thereof. The semiconductor structure includes a substrate, an NMOS transistor, and a PMOS transistor. The NMOS transistor includes a first dielectric layer, a first work function layer, and a first conductive layer that are stacked in sequence. The PMOS transistor includes a second dielectric layer, a second work function layer, and a second conductive layer that are stacked in sequence.

A mask layer is formed over a semiconductor device. The semiconductor device includes: a gate structure, a first layer disposed over the gate structure, and an interlayer dielectric (ILD) disposed on sidewalls of the first layer. The mask layer includes an opening that exposes a portion of the first layer and a portion of the ILD. A first etching process is performed to etch the opening partially into the first layer and partially into the ILD. A liner layer is formed in the opening after the first etching process has been performed. A second etching process is performed after the liner layer has been formed. The second etching process extends the opening downwardly through the first layer and through the gate structure. The opening is filled with a second layer after the second etching process has been performed.