The present disclosure discloses a method for manufacturing a via, including: forming a first dielectric layer on the surface of an underlying structure; performing patterned etching on the first dielectric layer to form a via opening; forming a first metal layer; performing first-time metal CMP to remove the first metal layer on the outer surface of the via opening, where a top surface of the first metal layer in the via opening is located below a top surface of the first dielectric layer; performing second-time dielectric etch back, to selectively etch the first dielectric layer, lower the top surface of the first dielectric layer as being below the top surface of the first metal layer, and form a metal protrusion of a via; and forming a pattern of an upper metal interconnection layer.

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising: forming a first layer in which first conductive patterns and first dielectric patterns are alternately arranged; forming passivation layers on the first conductive patterns, respectively; and forming second dielectric patterns on the first dielectric patterns, respectively, by an area-selective atomic layer deposition at a first temperature, wherein the first temperature is 350 C. or less, wherein the area-selective atomic layer deposition includes: pulsing a metal catalyst; performing a primary purge by a purge gas; sub-pulsing a reaction precursor at least once; and performing a secondary purge by the purge gas after each of the sub-pulsing.

A semiconductor memory device, and a method of manufacturing the semiconductor memory device, includes: a substrate including a peripheral circuit, a gate stack structure disposed over the substrate and including a cell array region and a stepped region that extends from the cell array region, a channel structure passing through the cell array region of the gate stack structure, a memory layer surrounding a sidewall of the channel structure, a first contact plug passing through the stepped region of the gate stack structure, and an insulating structure surrounding a sidewall of the first contact plug to insulate the first contact plug from the gate stack structure.

Interconnect structures and corresponding techniques for forming the interconnect structures are disclosed herein. An exemplary interconnect structure includes a conductive feature that includes cobalt and a via disposed over the conductive feature. The via includes a first via barrier layer disposed over the conductive feature, a second via barrier layer disposed over the first via barrier layer, and a via bulk layer disposed over the second via barrier layer. The first via barrier layer includes titanium, and the second via barrier layer includes titanium and nitrogen. The via bulk layer can include tungsten and/or cobalt. A capping layer may be disposed over the conductive feature, where the via extends through the capping layer to contact the conductive feature. In some implementations, the capping layer includes cobalt and silicon.

A chip package structure is provided. The chip package structure includes a substrate. The chip package structure includes a chip over the substrate. The chip package structure includes a first heat conductive layer between the heat-spreading wall structure and the chip. The chip package structure includes a second heat conductive layer over the chip and surrounded by the first heat conductive layer. The chip package structure includes a heat-spreading lid over the substrate and covering the heat-spreading wall structure, the first heat conductive layer, the second heat conductive layer, and the chip. The heat-spreading lid is bonded to the substrate, the heat-spreading wall structure, the first heat conductive layer, and the second heat conductive layer.

A method includes etching a dielectric layer of a substrate to form an opening in the dielectric layer, forming a metal layer extending into the opening, performing an anneal process, so that a bottom portion of the metal layer reacts with a semiconductor region underlying the metal layer to form a source/drain region, performing a plasma treatment process on the substrate using a process gas including hydrogen gas and a nitrogen-containing gas to form a silicon-and-nitrogen-containing layer, and depositing a metallic material on the silicon-and-nitrogen-containing layer.

A mask apparatus for x-ray lithography and metrology where the x-ray absorber material is embedded in diamond and then covered with a thermally conductive material to provide requisite thermal conductivity when irradiated with x-rays. The apparatus then includes a hollow holder that is thermally interfaced with the mask and may also include means for external thermal control. The mask apparatus allows for transmission of x-rays from a lithography beam as well as metrology beams of other wavelengths including UV, IR, visible, and others.

Small sized and closely pitched features can be formed by patterning a layer to have holes therein and then expanding the layer so that the holes shrink. If the expansion is sufficient to pinch off the respective holes, multiple holes can be formed from one larger hole. Holes smaller and of closer pitch than practical or possible may be obtained in this way. One process for expanding the layer includes implanting a dopant species having a larger average atomic spacing than does the material of the layer.

Various embodiments include methods and apparatuses to moisturize a substrate prior to an electrochemical deposition process. In one embodiment, a method to control substrate wettability includes placing a substrate in a pre-treatment chamber, controlling an environment of the pre-treatment chamber to moisturize a surface of the substrate; and placing the substrate into a plating cell. Other methods and systems are disclosed.

A semiconductor device includes a conductive structure, a first dielectric layer, a second dielectric layer and a liner layer. The conductive structure is located on a substrate. The first dielectric layer covers the conductive structure and the substrate. The second dielectric layer is located on the first dielectric layer. An air gap is present in the first dielectric layer and the second dielectric layer, and is located above the conductive structure. The liner layer covers and surrounds a middle portion of the air gap.