A method for forming a gate tie-down includes opening up a cap layer and recessing gate spacers on a gate structure to expose a gate conductor; forming inner spacers on the gate spacers; etching contact openings adjacent to sides of the gate structure down to a substrate below the gate structures; and forming trench contacts on sides of the gate structure. An interlevel dielectric (ILD) is deposited on the gate conductor and the trench contacts and over the gate structure. The ILD is opened up to expose the trench contact on one side of the gate structure and the gate conductor. A second conductive material provides a self-aligned contact down to the trench contact on the one side and to form a gate contact down to the gate conductor and a horizontal connection within the ILD over an active area between the gate conductor and the self-aligned contact.

A method for forming a gate tie-down includes opening up a cap layer and recessing gate spacers on a gate structure to expose a gate conductor; forming inner spacers on the gate spacers; etching contact openings adjacent to sides of the gate structure down to a substrate below the gate structures; and forming trench contacts on sides of the gate structure. An interlevel dielectric (ILD) is deposited on the gate conductor and the trench contacts and over the gate structure. The ILD is opened up to expose the trench contact on one side of the gate structure and the gate conductor. A second conductive material provides a self-aligned contact down to the trench contact on the one side and to form a gate contact down to the gate conductor and a horizontal connection within the ILD over an active area between the gate conductor and the self-aligned contact.

A flash memory fabrication method includes: providing a substrate having a plurality of floating gate structures separated by trenches, which includes at least a source trench and a drain trench, and source/drain regions; forming a metal film on the substrate and on the floating gate structures; performing a thermal annealing process on the metal film to form a first silicide layer on the source regions and a second silicide layer on the drain regions; removing portions of the metal film to form a metal layer on the bottom and lower sidewalls of the source trench and contacting with the first silicide layer, and forming a dielectric layer on the substrate and the floating gate structures, covering the source trench and the drain trench. Further, the method includes forming a first conducting structure and one or more second conducting structures in the dielectric layer. The first conducting structure is on the metal layer in the source trench, the second conducting structures are on the second silicide layer, and adjacent first conducting structure and second conducting structure have a predetermined distance.

A semiconductor device and a method of fabricating the same, the semiconductor device including a fin structure, a first liner, a first insulating layer and a dummy gate structure. The fin structure is disposed on a substrate, where the fin structure has a trench. The first liner disposed in the trench. The first insulating layer disposed on the first liner. The dummy gate structure is disposed on the first insulating layer and disposed above the trench, where a bottom surface of the dummy gate and a top surface of the fin structure are on a same level.

A method of forming a contact structure of a gate structure is provided. In the method, an oxidation layer and a first sidewall layer disposed between a first metal gate and a second metal gate are etched to expose an underlying silicon substrate. A silicide portion defined by a contact profile is deposited in the exposed portion of the silicon substrate. A second sidewall layer substantially covers the first sidewall layer and at least partially covering the silicide portion is formed after depositing the silicide portion. A metal glue layer is deposited around the first metal gate and the second metal gate defining a trench above the silicide portion. A metal plug is deposited within the trench.

A method includes forming a dummy gate stack over a semiconductor region, forming gate spacers on opposing sides of the dummy gate stack, forming a source/drain region on a side of the dummy gate stack, forming an inter-layer dielectric over the source/drain region, replacing the dummy gate stack with a replacement gate stack, recessing the replacement gate stack to form a recess between the gate spacers, depositing a liner extending into the recess, depositing a masking layer over the liner and extending into the recess, forming an etching mask covering a portion of the masking layer, and etching the inter-layer dielectric to form a source/drain contact opening. The source/drain region is underlying and exposed to the source/drain contact opening. A source/drain contact plug is formed in the source/drain contact opening. A gate contact plug extends between the gate spacers and electrically connecting to the replacement gate stack.

A method of fabricating a static random-access memory (SRAM) device includes forming a sacrificial material and replacing the sacrificial material with a metal to form a cross-couple contact on a metal gate stack. A portion of the metal gate stack directly contacts each of a sidewall and an endwall of the cross-couple contact.

The present disclosure provides a semiconductor device. The semiconductor device includes a semiconductor fin over a substrate, an epitaxial source/drain (S/D) feature disposed over the semiconductor fin, first and second dielectric layers over the substrate, and an S/D contact disposed on the epitaxial S/D feature. The first and second dielectric layers have different material compositions. A first sidewall of the epitaxial S/D feature is facing the first dielectric layer, a second sidewall of the epitaxial S/D feature is facing the second dielectric layer, and the S/D contact partially covers a top surface of the epitaxial S/D feature and extends continuously to cover the first sidewall of the epitaxial S/D feature.

The present disclosure provides a semiconductor device. The semiconductor device includes a fin-shaped structure protruding from a substrate, an epitaxial feature disposed on the fin-shaped structure, the epitaxial feature including a first sidewall, a second sidewall opposing the first sidewall, and a top surface between the first sidewall and the second sidewall, a contact disposed on the epitaxial feature, and a dielectric fin interfacing the first sidewall of the epitaxial feature. The contact interfaces the top surface of the epitaxial feature and extends continuously to interface the second sidewall of the epitaxial feature. The contact is spaced apart from the first sidewall of the epitaxial feature. A bottom surface of the contact is below a top surface of the dielectric fin.

Various embodiments of the present disclosure are directed towards a method for forming an integrated chip. The method includes forming a stack of gate layers over a substrate. The stack of gate layers includes a first dielectric layer on the substrate, a conductive layer on the first dielectric layer, and a polysilicon layer on the conductive layer. A pair of source/drain regions is formed on opposing sides of a central region of the polysilicon layer. The central portion of the polysilicon layer is converted to a first silicide layer. The first silicide layer is spaced between inner sidewalls of the polysilicon layer.