A process of manufacturing a semiconductor structure is provided. The process begins with forming a work function metal layer on a substrate, and a hardmask is covered over the work function metal layer. A trench is formed to penetrate the hardmask and the work function metal layer, and an isolation structure is filled in the trench.

A method is presented for forming a semiconductor structure. The method includes forming a plurality of fins over a source/drain region, forming a first spacer within troughs defined by the plurality of fins and depositing a high-k dielectric layer, a work function material layer, and a conducting layer. The method further includes etching the high-k dielectric layer, the work function material layer, and the conducting layer to form recesses between the plurality of fins, depositing a liner dielectric, and etching portions of the liner dielectric to form a plurality of second spacers having a U-shaped configuration. The method further includes forming an epitaxial layer over the plurality of fins such that a gap region is defined between the plurality of second spacers and the epitaxial layer.

A method for forming a semiconductor device structure is provided. The method includes receiving a structure having a first portion and a second portion, and a top surface of the first portion is higher than a top surface of the second portion. The method also includes forming a first material layer over the first portion and the second portion of the structure and forming a first material layer over the first portion and the second portion of the structure. The method further includes thinning the second material layer until the first material layer is exposed and removing a portion of the second material layer over the second portion of the structure to expose the first material layer thereunder. In addition, the method includes thinning the first material layer to expose the structure.

Forming a semiconductor layer on a semiconductor substrate, a top surface of the semiconductor layer above a fin in a second region is higher than a top surface of the semiconductor layer in a first region, etching the semiconductor layer and a mask in the first region to expose a top surface of the semiconductor substrate to form a first stack, and etching the semiconductor layer and the mask in the second region to expose a top surface of the fin to form a second stack, epitaxially growing a semiconductor material on a top surface of the fin not covered by the second stack, recessing the first and second stack to expose a top surface of the semiconductor layer, a portion of the mask remains above the semiconductor layer in the first stack, top surfaces of each of the first and second stacks each are substantially flush with one another.

A semiconductor device is provided that includes a first plurality of fin structures having a first width in a first region of a substrate, and a second plurality of fin structures having a second width in a second region of the substrate, the second width being less than the first width. A first gate structure is formed on the first plurality of fin structures including a first high-k gate dielectric that is in direct contact with a channel region of the first plurality of fin structures and a first gate conductor. A second gate structure is formed on the second plurality of fin structures including a high voltage gate dielectric that is in direct contact with a channel region of the second plurality of fin structures, a second high-k gate dielectric and a second gate conductor.

The present invention relates generally to semiconductors, and more particularly, to a structure and method of minimizing shorting between epitaxial regions in small pitch fin field effect transistors (FinFETs). In an embodiment, a dielectric region may be formed in a middle portion of a gate structure. The gate structure be formed using a gate replacement process, and may cover a middle portion of a first fin group, a middle portion of a second fin group and an intermediate region of the substrate between the first fin group and the second fin group. The dielectric region may be surrounded by the gate structure in the intermediate region. The gate structure and the dielectric region may physically separate epitaxial regions formed on the first fin group and the second fin group from one another.

A semiconductor device includes a fin region with long and short sides, a first field insulating layer including a top surface lower than that of the fin region and adjacent to a side surface of the short side of the fin region, a second field insulating layer including a top surface lower than that of the fin region and adjacent to a side surface of the long side of the fin region, an etch barrier pattern on the first field insulating layer, a first gate on the fin region and the second field insulating layer to face a top surface of the fin region and side surfaces of the long sides of the fin region. A second gate is on the etch barrier pattern overlapping the first field insulating layer. A source/drain region is between the first gate and the second gate, in contact with the etch barrier pattern.

Fin field effect transistors (FinFETs) and method for fabricating the same are disclosed. One of the FinFETs includes a substrate, an insulator, first and second gates, an opening, first and second dielectric layers. The substrate includes first and second semiconductor fins and a trench therebetween. The insulator is disposed in the trench. The first and second gates are respectively disposed on the first and second semiconductor fins. The opening is disposed between the first gate and the second gate. The first dielectric layer is disposed in the opening to electrically insulate the first and second gates and includes a slit. The second dielectric layer is filled in the slit, wherein the opening has a first width in a direction along which the first and second gates extend, the slit has a second width in the direction, and a ratio of the first width to the second width is larger than 2.

Isolation structures are formed to laterally surround a gate material block such that each sidewall of the gate material block abuts a corresponding sidewall of the isolation structures. Sidewalls of the gate material bock define ends of gate structures to be subsequently formed. The isolation structures obstruct lateral growth of a semiconductor material during a selective epitaxial grown process in formation of source/drain regions, thereby preventing merging of the source/drain regions at the ends of gate structures. As a result, a lateral distance between each sidewall of the gate material block and a corresponding outermost sidewall of an array of a plurality of semiconductor fins can be made sufficiently small without causing the electrical shorts of the source/drain regions.

An integrated circuit device includes at least two epitaxially grown active regions grown onto a substrate, the active regions being placed between a first gate device and a second gate device. The integrated circuit device includes at least one dummy gate between the two epitaxially grown active regions and between the first gate device and the second gate device, wherein each active region is substantially uniform in length. The first gate device and the second device are formed over a first well having a first conductivity type and the dummy gate is formed over a second well having a second conductivity type.