A semiconductor device structure is provided. The semiconductor device structure includes a semiconductor substrate and a first dielectric layer over the semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor device structure also includes a first conductive material and a second conductive material disposed over the semiconductor substrate and the first dielectric layer. The semiconductor device structure further includes a second dielectric layer surrounding the first conductive material and the second conductive material and an insulating structure over the semiconductor substrate. The insulating structure is disposed between the first conductive material and the second conductive material. The insulating structure comprises a material different from the first dielectric layer and the second dielectric layer.

A method according to the present disclosure includes receiving a workpiece that includes a gate structure, a first gate spacer feature, a second gate spacer feature, a gate-top dielectric feature over the gate structure, the first gate spacer feature and the second gate spacer feature, a first source/drain feature over a first source/drain region, a second source/drain feature over a second source/drain region, a first dielectric layer over the first source/drain feature, and a second dielectric layer over the second source/drain feature. The method further includes replacing a top portion of the first dielectric layer with a first hard mask layer, forming a second hard mask layer over the first hard mask layer while the second dielectric layer is exposed, etching the second dielectric layer to form a source/drain contact opening and to expose the second source/drain feature, and forming a source/drain contact over the second source/drain feature.

In an embodiment, a device includes: a semiconductor substrate; a first fin extending from the semiconductor substrate; a second fin extending from the semiconductor substrate; an epitaxial source/drain region including: a main layer in the first fin and the second fin, the main layer including a first semiconductor material, the main layer having an upper faceted surface and a lower faceted surface, the upper faceted surface and the lower faceted surface each being raised from respective surfaces of the first fin and the second fin; and a semiconductor contact etch stop layer (CESL) contacting the upper faceted surface and the lower faceted surface of the main layer, the semiconductor CESL including a second semiconductor material, the second semiconductor material being different from the first semiconductor material.

Methods for tuning effective work functions of gate electrodes in semiconductor devices and semiconductor devices formed by the same are disclosed. In an embodiment, a semiconductor device includes a channel region over a semiconductor substrate; a gate dielectric layer over the channel region; and a gate electrode over the gate dielectric layer, the gate electrode including a first work function metal layer over the gate dielectric layer, the first work function metal layer including aluminum (Al); a first work function tuning layer over the first work function metal layer, the first work function tuning layer including aluminum tungsten (AlW); and a fill material over the first work function tuning layer.

A semiconductor device includes; a substrate including a first region and a second region, a first active pattern extending upward from the first region, a first superlattice pattern on the first active pattern, a first active fin centrally disposed on the first active pattern, a first gate electrode disposed on the first active fin, and first source/drain patterns disposed on opposing sides of the first active fin and on the first active pattern. The first superlattice pattern includes at least one first semiconductor layer and at least one first blocker-containing layer, and the first blocker-containing layer includes at least one of oxygen, carbon, fluorine and nitrogen.

A method includes forming a semiconductor fin, forming a gate stack on the semiconductor fin, and a gate spacer on a sidewall of the gate stack. The method further includes recessing the semiconductor fin to form a recess, performing a first epitaxy process to grow a first epitaxy semiconductor layer in the recess, wherein the first epitaxy semiconductor layer, and performing a second epitaxy process to grow an embedded stressor extending into the recess. The embedded stressor has a top portion higher than a top surface of the semiconductor fin, with the top portion having a first sidewall contacting a second sidewall of the gate spacer, and with the sidewall having a bottom end level with the top surface of the semiconductor fin. The embedded spacer has a bottom portion lower than the top surface of the semiconductor fin.

A semiconductor device includes a sensing element including a sensing electrode and a filter covering the sensing electrode. The filter includes a first work function layer and a second work function layer. The first work function layer is over the sensing electrode. The second work function layer is over the first work function layer. A work function value of the second work function layer is greater than a work function value of the first work function layer, and an atomic percentage of metal in the second work function layer is greater than an atomic percentage of metal in the first work function layer.

A semiconductor device includes a first transistor, a first via contact, a second transistor and a second via contact. The first transistor includes a channel and a gate electrode. The first via contact is disposed on the gate electrode of the first transistor, and corresponds in position to the channel of the first transistor. The second transistor includes a channel and a gate electrode. The second via contact is disposed on the gate electrode of the second transistor, and corresponds in position to the channel of the second transistor. A distance between the second via contact and the channel of the second transistor is smaller than a distance between the first via contact and the channel of the first transistor.

A method includes forming a p-well and an n-well in a substrate. The method further includes forming a stack of interleaving first semiconductor layers and second semiconductor layers over the p-well and the n-well, the first semiconductor layers having a first thickness and the second semiconductor layers having a second thickness different than the first thickness. The method further includes annealing the stack of interleaving semiconductor layers. The method further includes patterning the stack to form fin-shaped structures including a first fin-shaped structure over the n-well and a second fin-shaped structure over the p-well. The method further includes etching to remove the second semiconductor layers from the first and second fin-shaped structures, where the first semiconductor layers have a different thickness within each of the first and second fin-shaped structures after the etching. The method further includes forming a metal gate over the first and second fin-shaped structures.

A semiconductor device includes an active fin extending in a first direction on a substrate, a gate electrode intersecting the active fin and extending in a second direction, source/drain regions disposed on the active fin on both sides of the gate electrode, and a contact plug disposed on the source/drain regions. The contact plug has at least one side extending in the second direction which has a step portion having a step shape.