A method includes forming a transistor, which includes forming a semiconductor nanostructure, forming an interfacial layer encircling the semiconductor region, depositing a dipole film on the interfacial layer, depositing a high-k dielectric layer on the dipole film, and depositing a gate electrode on the high-k dielectric layer. The formation of the transistor may be free from dipole dopant drive-in process and may be free from dipole film removal process.

According to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, a semiconductor device is described. The semiconductor device may include a substrate, a channel portion on the substrate between a source region and a drain region, and a gate on the channel. The channel portion may include a first portion extending in a first direction and at least one second portion protruding from the first portion in a second direction crossing the first portion.

Device-level interconnects having high thermal stability for stacked device structures are disclosed herein. An exemplary stacked semiconductor structure includes an upper source/drain contact disposed on an upper epitaxial source/drain, a lower source/drain contact disposed on a lower epitaxial source/drain, and a source/drain via connected to the upper source/drain contact and the lower source/drain contact. The source/drain via is disposed on the upper source/drain contact, the source/drain via extends below the upper source/drain contact, and the source/drain via includes ruthenium and aluminum. In some embodiments, the source/drain via includes a ruthenium plug wrapped by an aluminum liner. In some embodiments, the source/drain via includes a ruthenium aluminide plug. In some embodiments, the source/drain via includes a ruthenium plug wrapped by a ruthenium aluminide liner. In some embodiments, the source/drain via extends below a top of the lower epitaxial source/drain.

A method includes forming a stack of layers, which includes a plurality of semiconductor nanostructures, and a plurality of sacrificial layers. The plurality of semiconductor nanostructures and the plurality of sacrificial layers are arranged alternatingly. The method further includes laterally recessing the plurality of sacrificial layers to form lateral recesses, depositing a spacer layer extending into the lateral recesses, trimming the spacer layer to form inner spacers, and performing a treatment process to reduce dielectric constant values of the inner spacers.

An IC device includes a first and second stacked transistor structures including respective first and second and third and fourth transistors in a semiconductor substrate, first and second bit lines and a word line on one of a front or back side of the semiconductor substrate, and a power supply line on the other of the front or back side. The first transistor includes a source/drain (S/D) terminal electrically connected to the first bit line, a S/D terminal electrically connected to a S/D terminal of the second transistor, and a gate electrically connected to the word line, the third transistor includes a S/D terminal electrically connected to the second bit line, a S/D terminal electrically connected to a S/D terminal of the fourth transistor, and a gate electrically connected to the word line, and the second and fourth transistors include S/D terminals electrically connected to the power supply line.

A semiconductor structure includes a substrate, a vertical stack including nanostructures, and a gate structure wrapping around each of the nanostructures. The nanostructures are suspended and vertically arranged over the substrate. The gate structure includes a gate dielectric layer and a gate electrode formed on the gate dielectric layer. The semiconductor structure further includes inner spacers and gate spacers. The inner spacers are formed on opposite sides of the gate structure, between the nanostructures, and separating the nanostructures from each other. The gate spacers are formed on the opposite sides of the gate structure and over a topmost one of the nanostructures. The gate dielectric layer includes a first portion formed on the nanostructures and a second portion extending from the first portion. The first portion and the second portion have a first thickness and a second thickness, respectively. The first thickness is greater than the second thickness.

Semiconductor device structures and methods for manufacturing the same are provided. A semiconductor device structure is provided. The semiconductor device structure includes an isolation structure formed over a substrate, and first nanostructures formed over the isolation structure along a first direction. The semiconductor device structure includes a first gate structure formed over the first nanostructures along a second direction, and a first dielectric structure formed adjacent to the first nanostructures along the first direction. The first dielectric structure is in direct contact with the first nanostructures. The semiconductor device structure includes a second gate structure formed adjacent to the first gate structure, and the second gate structure is formed directly over the first dielectric structure.

A semiconductor structure including first source drain regions and second source drain regions arranged above a backside dielectric layer, and a buffer layer physically separating at least one of the second source drain regions from the backside dielectric layer, where at least one of the first source drain regions is in direct contact with the backside dielectric layer.

A semiconductor structure is provided that includes a first stacked FET cell including a second FET stacked over a first FET, and a second stacked FET cell located adjacent to the first stacked FET cell and including a fourth FET stacked over a third FET. The structure further includes a first backside source/drain contact structure located beneath the first stacked FET cell and contacting a source/drain region of the first FET, a second backside source/drain contact structure located beneath the second stacked FET cell and contacting a source/drain region of the third FET, and an angled cut region laterally separating the first backside source/drain contact structure from the second backside source/drain contact structure.

Methods for improving profiles of channel regions in semiconductor devices and semiconductor devices formed by the same are disclosed. In an embodiment, a method includes forming a semiconductor fin over a semiconductor substrate, the semiconductor fin including germanium, a germanium concentration of a first portion of the semiconductor fin being greater than a germanium concentration of a second portion of the semiconductor fin, a first distance between the first portion and a major surface of the semiconductor substrate being less than a second distance between the second portion and the major surface of the semiconductor substrate; and trimming the semiconductor fin, the first portion of the semiconductor fin being trimmed at a greater rate than the second portion of the semiconductor fin.