Methods and devices for enhancing mobility of charge carriers. An integrated circuit may include semiconductor devices of two types. The first type of device may include a metallic gate and a channel strained in a first manner. The second type of device may include a metallic gate and a channel strained in a second manner. The gates may include, collectively, three or fewer metallic materials. The gates may share a same metallic material. A method of forming the semiconductor devices on an integrated circuit may include depositing first and second metallic layers in first and second regions of the integrated circuit corresponding to the first and second gates, respectively.

A semiconductor fin includes a channel region. A gate-stressor member, formed of a metal, extends transverse to the fin and includes gate surfaces that straddle the fin in the channel region. The gate-stressor member has a configuration that includes a partial cut spaced from the fin by a cut distance. The configuration causes, through the gate surfaces, a transverse stress in the fin, having a magnitude that corresponds to the cut distance. Transverse stressor members, formed of a metal, straddle the fin at regions outside of the channel region and cause, at the regions outside of the channel region, additional transverse stresses in the fin. The magnitude that corresponds to the cut distance, in combination with the additional transverse stresses, induces a longitudinal compressive strain in the channel region.

A semiconductor device includes a channel pattern including a first semiconductor pattern and a second semiconductor pattern, which are sequentially stacked on a substrate, and a gate electrode that extends in a first direction and crosses the channel pattern. The gate electrode includes a first portion interposed between the substrate and the first semiconductor pattern and a second portion interposed between the first and second semiconductor patterns. A maximum width in a second direction of the first portion is greater than a maximum width in the second direction of the second portion, and a maximum length in the second direction of the second semiconductor pattern is less than a maximum length in the second direction of the first semiconductor pattern.

A device includes a metal-silicide region formed in a semiconductor material in a contact opening. A concentration of a material, including chlorine, fluorine, or a combination thereof is in the metal-silicide region near an uppermost surface of the metal-silicide region. The presence of chlorine or fluorine results from a physical bombarding of the chlorine or fluorine in the contact opening. As a result of the physical bombard, the opening becomes wider at the bottom of the opening and the sidewalls of the opening are thinned. A capping layer is over the metal-silicide region and over sidewalls of a contact plug opening. A contact plug is formed over the capping layer, filling the contact plug opening. Before the contact plug is formed, a silicidation occurs to form the metal-silicide and the metal-silicide is wider than the bottom of the opening.

The present disclosure relates to semiconductor structures and, more particularly, to a layout optimization for radio frequency (RF) device performance and methods of manufacture. The structure includes: a first active device on a substrate; source and drain diffusion regions adjacent to the first active device; and a first contact in electrical contact with the source and drain diffusion regions and which is spaced away from the first active device to optimize a stress component in a channel region of the first active device.

Embodiments of the disclosure are in the field of advanced integrated circuit structure fabrication and, in particular, 10 nanometer node and smaller integrated circuit structure fabrication and the resulting structures. In an example, an integrated circuit structure includes a fin. A gate dielectric layer is over the top of the fin and laterally adjacent the sidewalls of the fin. A gate electrode is over the gate dielectric layer over the top of the fin and laterally adjacent the sidewalls of the fin. First and second semiconductor source or drain regions are adjacent the first and second sides of the gate electrode, respectively. First and second trench contact structures are over the first and second semiconductor source or drain regions, respectively, the first and second trench contact structures both comprising a U-shaped metal layer and a T-shaped metal layer on and over the entirety of the U-shaped metal layer.

A semiconductor device is provided. The semiconductor device includes a substrate, an active pattern extending in a first horizontal direction on the substrate, a gate electrode extending in a second horizontal direction different from the first horizontal direction on the active pattern, a source/drain region on at least one side of the gate electrode, a source/drain contact extending into the source/drain region and including a filling layer and a barrier layer along a sidewall of the filling layer, and a silicide layer between the source/drain region and the filling layer, the silicide layer including a first sidewall in contact with the filling layer and a second sidewall in contact with the source/drain region, wherein the barrier layer is not between the filling layer and the source/drain region.

A planar insulating spacer layer can be formed over a substrate, and a combination of a semiconducting material layer, a thin film transistor (TFT) gate dielectric layer, and a gate electrode can be formed over the planar insulating spacer layer. A dielectric matrix layer is formed thereabove. A source-side via cavity and a drain-side via cavity can be formed through the dielectric matrix layer over end portions of the semiconducting material layer. Mechanical stress can be generated between the end portions of the semiconducting material layer by changing a lattice constant of end portions of the semiconducting material layer. The mechanical stress can enhance the mobility of charge carriers in a channel portion of the semiconducting material layer.

A semiconductor device and method of manufacture are provided. In an embodiment a metal layer is formed over a substrate using a fluorine-free deposition process, a nucleation layer is formed over the metal layer using a fluorine included deposition process, and a fill material is formed to fill an opening and form a gate stack.

A semiconductor device includes a substrate, a first transistor disposed on the substrate, a second transistor in proximity to the first transistor on the substrate, at least one interlayer dielectric layer covering the first transistor and the second transistor, a first stress-inducing dummy metal pattern disposed on the at least one interlayer dielectric layer and directly above the first transistor, and a second stress-inducing dummy metal pattern disposed on the at least one interlayer dielectric layer and directly above the second transistor.