A device includes a dielectric layer and a conductor in the dielectric layer including a first conductive material. A conductive liner wraps around the conductor and includes a second conductive material. A barrier layer is at an interface between the conductive liner and the dielectric layer, including a first oxide and a second oxide.

A semiconductor device includes a porous dielectric layer including a recessed portion, a conductive layer formed in the recessed portion, and a cap layer formed on the porous dielectric layer and on the conductive layer in the recessed portion, an upper surface of the porous dielectric layer being exposed through a gap in the cap layer.

An apparatus comprises a first metal feature in a first dielectric layer over a substrate, wherein a sidewall portion of the first dielectric layer is over a top surface of the first metal feature, a second dielectric layer over the first dielectric layer and a second metal feature extending through the second dielectric layer, wherein a bottom of a first portion of the second metal feature is in contact with the top surface of the first metal feature and a bottom of a second portion of the second metal feature is in contact with the sidewall portion of the first dielectric layer.

Various embodiments of the present disclosure are directed towards an integrated circuit (IC) in which cavities separate wires of an interconnect structure. For example, a conductive feature overlies a substrate, and an intermetal dielectric (IMD) layer overlies the conductive feature. A first wire and a second wire neighbor in the IMD layer and respectively have a first sidewall and a second sidewall that face each other while being separated from each other by the IMD layer. Further, the first wire overlies and borders the conductive feature. A first cavity and a second cavity further separate the first and second sidewalls from each other. The first cavity separates the first sidewall from the IMD layer, and the second cavity separates the second sidewall from the IMD layer. The cavities reduce parasitic capacitance between the first and second wires and hence resistance-capacitance (RC) delay that degrades IC performance.

A method for forming a semiconductor device structure is provided. The method includes forming a first conductive structure surrounded by a first dielectric layer and forming a second dielectric layer over the first conductive structure and the first dielectric layer. The method also includes forming a via hole in the second dielectric layer, and the via hole exposes the first conductive structure. The method further includes partially removing the first conductive structure through the via hole to form a recess in the first conductive structure. In addition, the method includes forming a second conductive structure filling the recess and the via hole.

Embodiments of the disclosure are in the field of integrated circuit structure fabrication. In an example, an integrated circuit structure includes an inter-layer dielectric (ILD) layer over a conductive interconnect line, the ILD layer having a trench therein, the trench exposing a portion of the conductive interconnect line. A dielectric liner layer is along a top surface of the ILD layer and along sidewalls of the trench, the dielectric liner layer having an opening therein, the opening over the portion of the conductive interconnect line. A conductive via structure is in the trench and between portions of the dielectric liner layer along the sidewalls of the trench, the conductive via structure having a portion extending vertically beneath the dielectric liner layer and in contact with the portion of the conductive interconnect line.

Provided is a manufacturing method of a semiconductor device including a semiconductor substrate, including: forming an interlayer dielectric film above the semiconductor substrate; forming contact holes exposed from a part of an upper surface of the semiconductor substrate on the interlayer dielectric film; and forming an metal electrode including an element of aluminum by DC sputtering above the interlayer dielectric film and inside the contact holes, wherein in at least a part of a process of forming the metal electrode in forming the electrode, a heating temperature that is a temperature for heating the semiconductor substrate is 400 C. or higher, and a DC sputtering power is 5 kW or lower.

Technologies for conformal power delivery structures near high-speed signal traces are disclosed. In one embodiment, a dielectric layer may be used to keep a power delivery structure spaced apart from high-speed signal traces, preventing deterioration of signals on the high-speed signal traces due to capacitive coupling to the power delivery structure.

Embodiments described herein may be related to apparatuses, processes, and techniques related to patterning and metallization to produce metal features on a substrate that have pitches less than 26 nm. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.

A conductor-filled via formed in a staircase structure that is provided in conjunction with a 3-dimensional array of memory strings, where the staircase structure includes multiple steps with each step including a bit line layer and a source line layer. The conductor-filled via includes a conductor to electrically connect a top layer in a first step in the staircase structure to a buried contact provided under the staircase structure, the top layer being the bit line layer or the source line layer of the first step; and a spacer insulator lining the sidewalls of the conductor-filled via to isolate the conductor from at least a bottom layer of the first step and the bit line layer or the source line layer in any steps between the first step and the buried contact.