A method of manufacturing an interconnect structure includes forming an opening through a dielectric layer. The opening exposes a top surface of a first conductive feature. The method further includes forming a barrier layer on sidewalls of the opening, passivating the exposed top surface of the first conductive feature with a treatment process, forming a liner layer over the barrier layer, and filling the opening with a conductive material. The liner layer may include ruthenium.

A semiconductor device may include an active pattern on a substrate, a source/drain pattern on the active pattern, a channel pattern connected to the source/drain pattern, a gate electrode on the channel pattern, an active contact on the source/drain pattern, a first lower interconnection line on the gate electrode, and a second lower interconnection line on the active contact and at the same level as the first lower interconnection line. The gate electrode may include an electrode body portion and an electrode protruding portion, wherein the electrode protruding portion protrudes from a top surface of the electrode body portion and is in contact with the first lower interconnection line thereon. The active contact may include a contact body portion and a contact protruding portion, wherein the contact protruding portion protrudes from a top surface of the contact body portion and is in contact with the second lower interconnection line thereon.

A device includes a semiconductor substrate, a fin structure on the semiconductor substrate, a gate structure on the fin structure, and a pair of source/drain features on both sides of the gate structure. The gate structure includes an interfacial layer on the fin structure, a gate dielectric layer on the interfacial layer, and a gate electrode layer of a conductive material on and directly contacting the gate dielectric layer. The gate dielectric layer includes nitrogen element.

Provided is a semiconductor device including a lower pattern layer including a first semiconductor material; a first conductivity-type doped pattern layer disposed on the lower pattern layer and including a semiconductor material doped with a first conductivity-type impurity; a source/drain pattern disposed on the first conductivity-type doped pattern layer and including a semiconductor material doped with a second conductivity-type impurity different from the first conductivity-type impurity; a channel pattern including semiconductor patterns connected between the source/drain patterns, stacked apart from each other, and including a second semiconductor material different from the first semiconductor material; and a gate pattern disposed on the first conductivity-type doped pattern layer and between the source/drain patterns, and surrounding the channel pattern.

A semiconductor device includes: insulating patterns spaced apart from each other in a first direction and in a second direction that intersects the first direction; a substrate insulating layer on first side surfaces of the insulating patterns; a device isolation layer on second side surfaces of the insulating patterns; channel layers on the insulating patterns and spaced apart from each other in a vertical direction that is perpendicular to an upper surface of the device isolation layer; gate structures vertically overlapping the insulating patterns, surrounding each of the channel layers, and extending in the second direction; source/drain regions provided outside the gate structures; and backside contact structures electrically connected to the source/drain regions and provided below the source/drain regions, wherein the insulating patterns include protrusions protruding in the vertical direction from an upper surface of the device isolation layer, and, in a region in which the insulating patterns vertically overlap the gate structures, a vertical distance between a lower surface of a lowermost channel layer among the channel layers and an upper surface of the protrusions is greater than a vertical distance between the channel layers.

A semiconductor device includes: a substrate, an active pattern extending in a first horizontal direction on the substrate, a plurality of nanosheets spaced apart from each other and stacked in a vertical direction on the active pattern, a gate electrode extending in a second horizontal direction different from the first horizontal direction on the active pattern, the gate electrode surrounding the plurality of nanosheets, a source/drain region disposed on at least one side of the gate electrode on the active pattern, the source/drain region including a first layer doped with a metal, and a second layer disposed on the first layer, and an inner spacer disposed between the gate electrode and the first layer, between each of the plurality of nanosheets, the inner spacer in contact with the first layer, the inner spacer including a metal oxide formed by oxidizing the same material as the metal.

Provided is a semiconductor device and a method of manufacturing the semiconductor device. The semiconductor device includes: a 1.sup.st source/drain region connected to a 1.sup.st channel structure; a 2.sup.nd source/drain region, above the 1.sup.st source/drain region, connected to a 2.sup.nd channel structure above the 1.sup.st channel structure; a backside contact structure on a bottom surface of the 1.sup.st source/drain region; and a backside isolation structure surrounding the backside contact structure, wherein the bottom surface of the 1.sup.st source/drain region is at a level below a top surface of the backside isolation structure.

A semiconductor structure includes a stacked device structure having a first field-effect transistor having a first source/drain region, and a second field-effect transistor vertically stacked above the first field-effect transistor, the second field-effect transistor having a second source/drain region and a gate region having first sidewall spacers. The stacked device structure further includes a frontside source/drain contact disposed on a first portion of a sidewall and a top surface of the second source/drain region, a first metal via connected to the frontside source/drain contact and to a first backside power line, and second sidewall spacers disposed on a first portion of the first metal via. The first sidewall spacers comprise a first dielectric material and the second sidewall spacers comprise a second dielectric material different than the first dielectric material.

Forces applied to the channel regions of semiconductor slabs in a first direction relative to the semiconductor slab, can create strains in the crystal structure that improve carrier mobility to improve drive strength in the channel region. In a three-dimensional (3D) FET structure, a work function metal layer is provided on opposing faces of semiconductor slabs to cause a force to be exerted on the channel regions in a first direction corresponding to current flow. The force in the first direction is either tensile force or compressive force, depending on a FET type (N or P) employing the semiconductor slab, and is provided to create strain in a crystalline structure of the semiconductor slab to improve carrier mobility in the channel region. Increasing carrier mobility in the channel regions in a 3D FET structure increases drive strength of the 3D FET, which saves area in an integrated circuit.

A method includes forming a lower transistor in a lower wafer, wherein the lower transistor includes a lower source/drain region, forming a contact plug electrically connecting to the lower source/drain region, and forming a metal line over the lower transistor. A first portion of the metal line is vertically aligned to the lower source/drain region. The method further includes bonding an upper wafer to the lower wafer, and forming an upper transistor in the upper wafer. The upper transistor includes an upper source/drain region, and is vertically aligned to a second portion of the metal line. A first interconnect structure is formed on the lower wafer and electrically connecting to the lower transistor. A second interconnect structure is formed on the upper wafer and electrically connecting to the upper transistor.