A method for treating a semiconductor substrate containing a refractory metal and copper, the method including: an oxidation treatment step of forming copper oxide on a surface of the copper; and a step of removing the refractory metal after the oxidation treatment step.

A metal interconnect structure is doped with zinc, indium, or gallium using top-down doping processes to improve diffusion barrier properties with minimal impact on line resistance. Dopant is introduced prior to metallization or after metallization. Dopant may be introduced by chemical vapor deposition on a liner layer at an elevated temperature prior to metallization, by chemical vapor deposition on a metal feature at an elevated temperature after metallization, or by electroless deposition on a copper feature after metallization. Application of elevated temperatures causes the metal interconnect structure to be doped and form a self-formed barrier layer or strengthen an existing diffusion barrier layer.

Interconnect structures having dielectric layers with nitrogen-containing crusts and methods of fabrication thereof are disclosed herein. An exemplary method includes forming a first interconnect opening in a first interlayer dielectric (ILD) layer that exposes an underlying conductive feature, such as a source/drain, a gate, a contact, a via, or a conductive line. The method includes nitridizing sidewalls of the first interconnect opening, which are formed by the first ILD layer, before forming a first metal contact in the first interconnect opening. The nitridizing converts a portion of the first ILD layer into a nitrogen-containing crust. The first metal contact can include a metal plug and dielectric spacers between the metal plug and the nitrogen-containing crust of the first ILD layer. The method can include forming a second interconnect opening in a second ILD layer that exposes the first metal contact and forming a second metal contact in the second interconnect opening.

A semiconductor device may include a substrate. The semiconductor device may include a backside metal layer disposed on a backside of the substrate and may include a first track and a second track. The semiconductor device may include a device layer may include a dummy source, a dummy gate, an active source, and an active gate. The semiconductor device may include a frontside metal pathway electrically connecting the dummy gate and the active gate. The device may include a first metal through substrate via (TSV) connecting the first track and the active source. The device may include a second metal TSV connecting the second track and the dummy source.

A method includes forming a metal fill material on at least one electrical connection formed in a feature formed within a dielectric layer of a semiconductor device structure. The metal fill material partially fills the feature, the partially filled feature comprises the metal fill material and an exposed first portion of a sidewall of the feature that comprises the material of the dielectric layer, and a gap region formed between a second portion of the sidewall and a sidewall of the metal fill material, and performing a soaking process on the semiconductor device structure to form a passivation layer over a surface of the metal fill material and including a portion of the metal fill material disposed within the gap.

An embodiment inverter circuit includes a first-conductivity-type semiconductor layer disposed over an interlayer dielectric layer, a gate electrode disposed over the first-conductivity-type semiconductor layer, a second-conductivity-type semiconductor layer disposed over the gate electrode, a first gate dielectric layer disposed between the first-conductivity-type semiconductor layer and the gate electrode, a second gate dielectric layer disposed between the gate electrode and the second-conductivity-type semiconductor layer, a first source electrode that is in contact with the first-conductivity-type semiconductor layer, a second source electrode that is in contact with the second-conductivity-type semiconductor layer, and a shared drain electrode that is in contact with the first-conductivity-type semiconductor layer and the second-conductivity-type semiconductor layer. At least one of the first-conductivity-type layer and the second-conductivity-type layer includes a metal-oxide semiconductor and/or a multi-layer structure formed in a BEOL process that may be incorporated with other BEOL circuit components such as capacitors, inductors, resistors, and integrated passive devices.

A method and apparatus for a gap-fill in semiconductor devices are provided. The method includes forming a metal seed layer on an exposed surface of the substrate, wherein the substrate has features in the form of trenches or vias formed in a top surface of the substrate, the features having sidewalls and a bottom surface extending between the sidewalls. A gradient oxidation process is performed in a first process chamber to oxidize exposed portions of the metal seed layer to form a metal oxide, wherein the gradient oxidation process preferentially oxidizes a field region of the substrate over the bottom surface of the features. An etch back process is performed in the first process chamber removes or reduces the oxidized portion of the seed layer. A metal gap-fill process fills or partially fills the features with a gap fill material.

The present technology includes methods and systems for forming advanced memory structures, and devices therefrom. Methods include forming a dummy material layer over a first sidewall, a second sidewall, and a bottom surface, of one or more features, where the first sidewall is spaced apart from the second sidewall and the bottom surface is disposed between the first sidewall and the second sidewall. Methods include filling a gap formed between the dummy material on the first sidewall and the low resistivity material on the second sidewall with a sacrificial isolation material. Methods include removing at least a portion of the bottom surface, exposing at least a portion of the dummy material and the sacrificial isolation material. Methods include removing the sacrificial isolation material and at least a portion of the dummy material and selectively depositing a conductive material on a remaining portion of the dummy material.

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 backside power and ground distribution network is formed on a wafer substrate layer by selectively etching backside PSV openings through a backside surface of the wafer substrate layer, forming n-type and p-type conductive regions in the wafer substrate layer at the bottoms of first and second backside PSV openings in position for electrical contact with an n-well and p-well regions, and then forming first and second backside PSV conductors in the first and second backside PSV openings to be directly electrically connected over the n-type and p-type conductive regions to the n-well and p-well regions in the wafer substrate layer.