In a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, a dummy gate structure is formed over a substrate. A first insulating layer is formed over the dummy gate structure. The dummy gate structure is removed so as to form a gate space in the first insulating layer. A first conductive layer is formed in the gate space so as to form a reduced gate space. The reduced gate space is filled with a second conductive layer made of a different material from the first conductive layer. The filled first conductive layer and the second conductive layer are recessed so as to form a first gate recess. A third conductive layer is formed over the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer in the first gate recess. After recessing the filled first conductive layer and the second conductive layer, the second conductive layer protrudes from the first conductive layer.

In some examples, a transistor includes a drain, a channel, and a gate. The channel surrounds the drain and has a channel length to width ratio. The gate is over the channel to provide an active channel region that has an active channel region length to width ratio that is greater than the channel length to width ratio.

A method of fabricating a semiconductor structure includes forming an isolation feature in a substrate, removing a portion of the isolation feature and a portion of the substrate underneath the removed portion of the isolation feature to form a trench in the substrate, and forming a trapping feature around a bottom portion of the trench. A first sidewall and a second sidewall of the trench are in direct contact with the isolation feature, and a bottom surface of the trench is below a bottom surface of the isolation feature.

In one aspect of the present disclosure, a method is provided, the method including providing a test region in an upper surface region of a semiconductor substrate, forming a plurality of trenches in the test region, the trenches of the plurality of trenches having at least one of a varying width, a varying length, and a varying bridge between adjacent trenches, determining depth values of the trenches, and evaluating the risk of defects of gate electrodes to be formed on the basis of the depth values.

A method for forming semiconductor devices includes forming a highly doped region. A stack of alternating layers is formed on the substrate. The stack is patterned to form nanosheet structures. A dummy gate structure is formed over and between the nanosheet structures. An interlevel dielectric layer is formed. The dummy gate structures are removed. SG regions are blocked, and top sheets are removed from the nanosheet structures along the dummy gate trench. A bottommost sheet is released and forms a channel for a field effect transistor device by etching away the highly doped region under the nanosheet structure and layers in contact with the bottommost sheet. A gate structure is formed in and over the dummy gate trench wherein the bottommost sheet forms a device channel for the EG device.

Embodiments of the present disclosure describe multi-threshold voltage devices and associated techniques and configurations. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a semiconductor substrate, a channel body disposed on the semiconductor substrate, a first gate electrode having a first thickness coupled with the channel body and a second gate electrode having a second thickness coupled with the channel body, wherein the first thickness is greater than the second thickness. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.

Semiconductor devices and FinFET devices are disclosed. A substrate has first and second regions. First and second gates are on the substrate in the first region, and a first end sidewall of the first gate is faced to a second end sidewall of the second gate. Third and fourth gates are on the substrate in the second region, and a third end sidewall of the third gate is faced to a fourth end sidewall of the fourth gate. A dielectric layer is between the first and second gates and between the third and fourth gates. The first and second regions have different pattern densities, and an included angle between the substrate and a sidewall of the dielectric layer between the first and second gates is different from an included angle between the substrate and a sidewall of the dielectric layer between the third and fourth gates.

Dummy gates are removed from a pre-metal layer to produce a first opening (with a first length) and a second opening (with a second length longer than the first length). Work function metal for a metal gate electrode is provided in the first and second openings. Tungsten is deposited to fill the first opening and conformally line the second opening, thus leaving a third opening. The thickness of the tungsten layer substantially equals the length of the first opening. The third opening is filled with an insulating material. The tungsten is then recessed in both the first and second openings using a dry etch to substantially a same depth from a top surface of the pre-metal layer to complete the metal gate electrode. Openings left following the recess operation are then filled with a dielectric material forming a cap on the gate stack which includes the metal gate electrode.

Methods are disclosed herein for fabricating integrated circuit devices, such as fin-like field-effect transistors (FinFETs). An exemplary method includes forming a first semiconductor material layer over a fin portion of a substrate; forming a second semiconductor material layer over the first semiconductor material layer; and converting a portion of the first semiconductor material layer to a first semiconductor oxide layer. The fin portion of the substrate, the first semiconductor material layer, the first semiconductor oxide layer, and the second semiconductor material layer form a fin. The method further includes forming a gate stack overwrapping the fin.

A method to adjust transistor gate geometries in a design data base to compensate for transistor-to-transistor active overlap of gate differences and to form a reticle. A method to adjust transistor geometries in a design data base to compensate for transistor-to-transistor active overlap of gate differences and to compensate for transistor turn on voltage drop off where the transistor gate crosses the isolation/active interface.