A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device includes: forming a patterned hard mask on a patterned structure disposed on a substrate, such that a hard mask portion of the patterned hard mask is disposed on a fin portion of the patterned structure; and laterally trimming the hard mask portion by a lateral etching process. The lateral etching process includes a radical etching process and a chemical etching process. Alternatively, the lateral etching process includes a radical etching process, a plasma etching process, or a combination thereof, and a cleaning process.

A semiconductor device includes first and second gate structures over a substrate, the first gate structure has a first width that is smaller than a second width of the second gate structure, in which a lower portion of the first gate structure having a first work-function material (WFM) layer, the first WFM layer having a top surface, a lower portion of the second gate structure having a second WFM layer, the second WFM layer having a top surface. A first gate electrode is disposed over the first WFM layer and a second gate electrode has a lower portion disposed in the second WFM layer, in which the first gate electrode has a first width that is smaller than a second width of the second gate electrode, and wherein the top surface of the second WFM layer is at a level below a top surface of the second gate electrode.

Methods of forming electronic devices and film stacks comprising depositing a ruthenium carbide hard mask on a capacitor mold formed on a substrate. A hard mask oxide and patterned photoresist are formed, and the pattern of the patterned photoresist are transferred into the ruthenium carbide hard mask. Film stacks comprising the ruthenium carbide hard mask on the capacitor mold are also described.

A composition for forming a protective film using a polymer having an imide group: cured under a film-forming condition in air and an inert gas; forming a protective film having excellent heat resistance, embedding and planarization ability for a pattern formed on a substrate, and good adhesiveness to the substrate; and forming a protective film having excellent resistance against an alkaline aqueous hydrogen peroxide. A composition for forming a protective film against alkaline aqueous hydrogen peroxide, including: (A) a polymer having a repeating unit represented by general formula (1A) having at least one or more fluorine atoms and at least one or more hydroxy groups, a terminal group is any one of the following general formulae (1B) and (1C); and organic solvent, wherein R.sub.1 represents any one group represented by the following formula (1D), and two or more kinds of R.sub.1 are optionally used in combination,

##STR00001## wherein R.sub.1 represents any one group represented by the following formula (1D), and two or more kinds of R.sub.1 are optionally used in combination.

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