A method according to the present disclosure includes providing a first workpiece that includes a first substrate and a first interconnect structure, providing a second workpiece that includes a second substrate, a second interconnect structure, and a through via extending through a portion of the second substrate and a portion of the second interconnect structure, forming a first bonding layer on the first interconnect structure, forming a second bonding layer on the second interconnect structure, bonding the second workpiece to the first workpiece by directly bonding the second bonding layer to the first bonding layer, thinning the second substrate, forming a protective film over the thinned second substrate, forming a backside via opening through the protective film and the thinned second substrate to expose the through via, and forming a backside through via in the backside via opening to physically couple to the through via.

Semiconductor structures may include a stack of alternating dielectric materials and control gates, charge storage structures laterally adjacent to the control gates, a charge block material between each of the charge storage structures and the laterally adjacent control gates, and a pillar extending through the stack of alternating oxide materials and control gates. Each of the dielectric materials in the stack has at least two portions of different densities and/or different rates of removal. Also disclosed are methods of fabricating such semiconductor structures.

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 first plurality of semiconductor fins having a longest dimension along a first direction. Adjacent individual semiconductor fins of the first plurality of semiconductor fins are spaced apart from one another by a first amount in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction. A second plurality of semiconductor fins has a longest dimension along the first direction. Adjacent individual semiconductor fins of the second plurality of semiconductor fins are spaced apart from one another by the first amount in the second direction, and closest semiconductor fins of the first plurality of semiconductor fins and the second plurality of semiconductor fins are spaced apart by a second amount in the second direction.

Methods of depositing silicon-containing films by plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) are described and can include one or more techniques to provide a chemical vapor deposition (CVD)-type component.

A SiC semiconductor device manufacturing method includes a step of etching a surface of a SiC substrate 1 with H.sub.2 gas under Si-excess atmosphere within a temperature range of 1000 C. to 1350 C., a step of depositing, by a CVD method, a SiO.sub.2 film 2 on the SiC substrate 1 at such a temperature that the SiC substrate 1 is not oxidized, and a step of thermally treating the SiC substrate 1, on which the SiO.sub.2 film 2 is deposited, in NO gas atmosphere within a temperature range of 1150 C. to 1350 C.

A method of forming a semiconductor device includes etching a gate stack to form a trench extending into the gate stack, forming a dielectric layer on a sidewall of the gate stack, with the sidewall exposed to the trench, and etching the dielectric layer to remove a first portion of the dielectric layer at a bottom of the trench. A second portion of the dielectric layer on the sidewall of the gate stack remains after the dielectric layer is etched. After the first portion of the dielectric layer is removed, the second portion of the dielectric layer is removed to reveal the sidewall of the gate stack. The trench is filled with a dielectric region, which contacts the sidewall of the gate stack.

Provided are methods and structures for keeping the integrity of layers deposited on a semiconductor wafer through a thermal cycle. Deposition of a second backside layer, or a cap, with an internal stress opposite to a first backside layer may be used to reduce bow shift of a wafer during a thermal cycle. The first backside layer may have a tensile internal stress or a compressive internal stress. The second backside layer has an internal stress opposite to the first backside layer. Each of the backside layers may be deposited by a backside deposition apparatus.

A method for forming an insulating layer pattern includes providing a substrate including two or more different types of dielectric layer regions; selectively forming a blocking layer on the substrate to include a first region on which a blocking layer is formed and a second region on which no blocking layer is formed or the blocking layer is formed less than in the first region; selectively forming an insulating layer on the second region; and etching a portion of an upper portion of the insulating layer.

A silicon-on-insulator substrate includes: (1) a high-resistivity base layer including silicon and a trap-rich region including arsenic diffused within a first side of the high-resistivity base layer, wherein the trap-rich region has a thickness that is in a range of 1 to 10 microns and a trap density that is in a range of 0.8*10.sup.10 cm.sup.2 eV.sup.1 to 1.2*10.sup.10 cm.sup.2 eV.sup.1, wherein the high-resistivity base layer has resistivity in a range of 50 to 100 ohm-meters and a thickness in a range of 500 to 700 microns; (2) a silicon dioxide layer positioned on the first side of the high-resistivity base layer and having a thickness that is in a range of 1000 to 5000 angstroms; and (3) a transfer layer positioned on the silicon dioxide layer, wherein the transfer layer comprises a silicon wafer having a thickness that is a range of 500 to 5000 angstroms.

A semiconductor device with a small variation in transistor characteristics is provided. The semiconductor device includes an oxide semiconductor film, a source electrode and a drain electrode over the oxide semiconductor film, an interlayer insulating film placed to cover the oxide semiconductor film, the source electrode, and the drain electrode, a first gate insulating film over the oxide semiconductor film, a second gate insulating film over the first gate insulating film, and a gate electrode over the second gate insulating film. The interlayer insulating film has an opening overlapping with a region between the source electrode and the drain electrode, the first gate insulating film, the second gate insulating film, and the gate electrode are placed in the opening of the interlayer insulating film, the first gate insulating film includes oxygen and aluminum, and the first gate insulating film includes a region thinner that is than the second gate insulating film.