A described example includes a method for fabricating an integrated circuit (IC) device. The method includes forming a barrier layer over a surface of a semiconductor substrate and a conductive terminal in the surface. The method also includes forming a conductive seed layer over the barrier layer and at least a portion of the surface of the semiconductor substrate. The method also includes forming a conductive post over the seed layer, in which the conductive post includes a sidewall portion extending from a proximal end at the seed layer to terminate in a distal end spaced apart from the seed layer. The method also includes forming a passivation layer over the surface of the semiconductor substrate and surrounding the sidewall portion of the conductive post.

A method of processing a substrate includes providing a substrate with a line pattern including lines extending in a longitudinal direction and exposing the line pattern to a directional beam. The directional beam has an azimuthal component substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction. Exposing the line pattern to the directional beam may concurrently deposit material on sidewall surfaces of the line pattern and etch surfaces of the line pattern with a normal component parallel to the longitudinal direction. The line pattern may have localized defects. The deposited material may mitigate pinch defects in the line pattern. The etched surfaces may mitigate bridge defects in the line pattern. A controller may be configured to cause the substrate to be processed according to the method. The controller may be included in a system further including a beam source and a substrate positioner.

A semiconductor device comprises a lower structure; a plurality of semiconductor layers laterally oriented in a direction parallel to a surface of the lower structure; a plurality of bit lines connected an end of the semiconductor layers and extending in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the lower structure; word lines extending laterally in a direction crossing the semiconductor layers over the semiconductor layers; and a device isolation layer extending in the direction parallel to the surface of the lower structure to be disposed between the bit lines and the word lines and including air gaps.

Disclosed is a semiconductor device and semiconductor fabrication method. A semiconductor device includes: a gate structure over a semiconductor substrate, having a low-k dielectric layer, a high-k dielectric layer, a p-type work function metal layer, an n-type work function metal layer, a silicon oxide scap layer, and a glue layer; and a continuous tungsten (W) cap over the gate structure that was formed by the gate structure being pretreated, W material being deposited and etched back, the scap layer being etched, additional W material being deposited, and unwanted W material being removed. A semiconductor fabrication method includes: receiving a gate structure; pretreating the gate structure; depositing W material on the gate structure; etching back the W material; etching the scap layer; depositing additional W material; and removing unwanted W material.

A method of manufacturing a sacrificial layer may include providing a first compound including an amine compound including at least one secondary amine and a second compound including an isocyanate compound, and forming a sacrificial layer including polyurea through a polymerization reaction of the first compound and the second compound.

The invention provides a semiconductor structure, the semiconductor structure comprises a substrate, a dielectric layer located on the substrate, a plurality of gate structures located in the dielectric layer on the substrate, a plurality of first metal layers located on a part of the gate structures, and the first metal layers are respectively electrically connected with the corresponding gate structures, at least one second metal layer, the second metal layer is bridged over at least two of the gate structures, wherein the depth of the first metal layer is greater than that of the second metal layer.

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor structure includes the following steps. A bit line structure is formed over a substrate. A first spacer layer is formed on a first sidewall of the bit line structure. A second spacer layer is formed on a second sidewall of the first spacer layer. A third spacer layer is formed on a third sidewall of the second spacer layer. An oxidation process is performed on the second spacer layer, thereby forming an oxidized portion and a remaining portion in the second spacer layer, in which the oxidized portion is between the remaining portion and the third spacer layer. A fourth spacer layer is formed on a fourth sidewall of the third spacer layer.

The present disclosure provides a method for forming an integrated circuit (IC) structure. The method comprises providing a substrate including a conductive feature; forming aluminum (Al)-containing dielectric layer on the conductive feature; forming a low-k dielectric layer on the Al-containing dielectric layer; and etching the low-k dielectric layer to form a contact trench aligned with the conductive feature. A bottom of the contact trench is on a surface of the Al-containing dielectric layer.

The present application discloses a semiconductor device and a method for fabricating the semiconductor device. The semiconductor device includes a substrate; a first bottom conductive layer positioned in the substrate; a bottom porous dielectric layer positioned on the substrate; a top porous dielectric layer positioned on the bottom porous dielectric layer; a middle porous dielectric layer positioned between the bottom porous dielectric layer and the top porous dielectric layer; and a mixing-area conductive structure positioned along the top porous dielectric layer, the middle porous dielectric layer, and the bottom porous dielectric layer, and positioned on the first bottom conductive layer. A porosity of the top porous dielectric layer is greater than a porosity of the middle porous dielectric layer. The porosity of the middle porous dielectric layer is greater than a porosity of the bottom porous dielectric layer.

Disclosed are integrated circuit structures with buried rails and backside metals for routing input signals to and/or output signals from one or more cells of the integrated circuit structures. Port landing-free connections to input ports and/or from output ports are enabled. As a result, signal routing flexibility is enhanced.