A method for forming a 3D NAND structure includes providing a semiconductor substrate; forming a control gate structure having a plurality of staircase-stacked layers, each layer has a first end and a second end; forming a dielectric layer covering the semiconductor substrate, and the control gate structure; forming a hard mask layer on the dielectric layer; patterning the hard mask layer to form a plurality of openings above corresponding second ends of the layers of the control gate structure; forming a photoresist layer on the hard mask layer; repeating a photoresist trimming process and a first etching process to sequentially expose the openings, and to form a plurality of holes with predetermined depths in the dielectric layer; performing a second etching process to etch the plurality of holes until surfaces of the second ends are exposed to form through holes; and forming metal vias in the through holes.

A method for adjusting a threshold voltage includes depositing a strained liner on a gate structure to strain a gate dielectric. A threshold voltage of a transistor is adjusted by controlling an amount of strain in the liner to control an amount of work function (WF) modulating species that diffuse into the gate dielectric in a channel region. The liner is removed.

A semiconductor device that includes a first fin structure in a first portion of a substrate, and a second fin structure in a second portion of the substrate, wherein the first portion of the substrate is separated from the second portion of the substrate by at least one isolation region. A gate structure present extending from the first fin structure across the isolation region to the second fin structure. The gate structure including a first portion on the first fin structure including a first work function metal having at least one void, an isolation portion that is voidless present overlying the isolation region, and a second portion on the second fin structure including a second work function metal.

A metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) with integrated passive structures and methods of manufacturing the same is disclosed. The method includes forming a stacked structure in an active region and at least one shallow trench isolation (STI) structure adjacent to the stacked structure. The method further includes forming a semiconductor layer directly in contact with the at least one STI structure and the stacked structure. The method further includes patterning the semiconductor layer and the stacked structure to form an active device in the active region and a passive structure of the semiconductor layer directly on the at least one STI structure.

A dual gate oxide semiconductor TFT substrate is made by utilizing a halftone mask to implement one photo process, which accomplishes patterning of an oxide semiconductor layer and forms an oxide conductor layer with ion doping process. Patterning of a bottom gate isolation layer and a top gate isolation layer are performed at the same time with one photo process. A first top gate, a first source, a first drain, a second top gate, a second source, and a second drain are formed at the same time with one photo process. Patterning of a flat layer, a passivation layer, and a top gate isolation layer are performed at the same time with one photo process. As such, the number of photo processes applied to manufacture the TFT substrate is reduced to five and the manufacturing process is shortened to thereby raise the production efficiency and lower the production cost.

A fin-type field effect transistor comprising a substrate, at least one gate structure, spacers and source and drain regions is described. The substrate has a plurality of fins and a plurality of insulators disposed between the fins. The source and drain regions are disposed on two opposite sides of the at least one gate structure. The gate structure is disposed over the plurality of fins and disposed on the plurality of insulators. The gate structure includes a stacked strip disposed on the substrate and a gate electrode stack disposed on the stacked strip. The spacers are disposed on opposite sidewalls of the gate structure, and the gate electrode stack contacts with sidewalls of the opposite spacers.

Memory devices and methods for forming the same are disclosed. In one embodiment, the device includes a non-volatile memory (NVM) transistor formed in a first region of a substrate, the NVM transistor comprising a channel and a gate stack on the substrate overlying the channel. The gate stack includes a dielectric layer on the substrate, a charge-trapping layer on the dielectric layer, an oxide layer overlying the charge-trapping layer, a first gate overlying the oxide layer, and a first silicide region overlying the first gate. The device includes a metal-oxide-semiconductor transistor formed in a second region of the substrate comprising a gate oxide overlying the substrate in the second region, a second gate overlying the gate oxide, and second silicide region overlying the second gate. A strain inducing structure overlies at least the NVM transistor and a surface of the substrate in the first region of the substrate.

The present disclosure describes a fin-like field-effect transistor (FinFET). The device includes one or more fin structures over a substrate, each with source/drain (S/D) features and a high-k/metal gate (HK/MG). A first HK/MG in a first gate region wraps over an upper portion of a first fin structure, the first fin structure including an epitaxial silicon (Si) layer as its upper portion and an epitaxial growth silicon germanium (SiGe), with a silicon germanium oxide (SiGeO) feature at its outer layer, as its middle portion, and the substrate as its bottom portion. A second HK/MG in a second gate region, wraps over an upper portion of a second fin structure, the second fin structure including an epitaxial SiGe layer as its upper portion, an epitaxial Si layer as it upper middle portion, an epitaxial SiGe layer as its lower middle portion, and the substrate as its bottom portion.

A semiconductor device includes a first gate structure disposed on a substrate. The first gate structure includes a first gate electrode, a first cap insulating layer disposed over the first gate electrode and first sidewall spacers disposed on both side faces of the first gate electrode and the first cap insulating layer. The semiconductor device further includes a first protective layer formed over the first cap insulating layer and at least one of the first sidewall spacers. The first protective layer includes at least one selected from the group consisting of AlON, AlN and amorphous silicon.

The method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, including preparing a semiconductor substrate, forming a first insulating layer over said semiconductor substrate, forming first grooves in the first insulating film, forming a gate electrode and a first interconnect in the first grooves, respectively, forming a gate insulating film over the gate electrode, forming a semiconductor layer over the gate insulating, forming a second insulating layer over the semiconductor layer and the first insulating film, forming a via in the second insulating layer, and forming a second interconnect such that the second interconnect is connected to the semiconductor layer through the via. The gate electrode, the first interconnect and the second interconnect are formed by Cu or Cu alloy, respectively.