A process can be implemented to form adjacent transistors separated by a shallow trench isolation (STI), where the STI is formed after forming gates and sources/drains of the transistors. The STI can be formed by an active area cut using a mask to form a rectangular opening for filling with a STI dielectric. Using an active area mask providing a rectangular-like shape after forming gate stacks and source/drains, a memory device can be constructed having transistors separated by a STI having a recess from active areas of the transistors by at most 50 nm.

A polishing liquid for polishing undoped silicate glass, the polishing liquid having a pH of 3.0 or more. A polishing method including a step of polishing a surface to be polished of a member to be polished containing undoped silicate glass by using the above-described polishing liquid. A method for manufacturing a component, including obtaining a component by using a polished member polished by the above-described polishing method.

Disclosed is a method for manufacturing a zeroth interlayer dielectric, including: step 1: providing a semiconductor substrate subjected to a process of forming a contact etch stop layer; step 2: performing a first deposition process using a HARP process, to form a first oxide layer fully filling a spacing region; step 3: polishing the first oxide layer using a first chemical mechanical polishing process; step 4: performing wet etch to lower a top surface of the first oxide layer and form a first groove at the top of the spacing region; step 5: performing a second deposition process using an HDP CVD process, to form a second oxide layer fully filling the first groove; and step 6: polishing the second oxide layer using a second chemical mechanical polishing process, which is stopped on a surface of a first gate material layer of a first gate structure.

A method of forming a semiconductor structure includes forming a photoresist pattern on an anti-reflective layer on a wafer; forming an oxide layer on the anti-reflective layer and the photoresist pattern, wherein the oxide layer has a protruding portion overlapping the photoresist pattern; forming a polish stop layer along a top surface of the oxide layer; forming a buffer layer on the polish stop layer; polishing the buffer layer such that at least a portion of the buffer layer is removed and the polish stop layer is exposed; and etching the buffer layer, the polish stop layer and the oxide layer such that the photoresist pattern is exposed.

The present disclosure is to provide a polishing pad which is capable of providing physical properties corresponding to various polishing purposes for various polishing objects through the subdivided structural design in a thickness direction, and of securing environmental friendliness by applying a recycled or recyclable material to at least some components, in relation to disposal after use, unlike the conventional polishing pad. Specifically, the polishing pad includes a polishing layer, wherein the polishing layer includes a polishing variable layer having a polishing surface; and a polishing constant layer disposed on a rear surface side of the polishing variable layer opposite to the polishing surface, and wherein the polishing constant layer includes a cured product of a composition having thermosetting polyurethane particles and a binder.

A semiconductor structure and forming method thereof are provided. The semiconductor structure includes a substrate, a gate dielectric, a gate electrode and dielectric structures. The gate dielectric has a top surface aligned with a top surface of the substrate. The gate electrode is disposed over the substrate and overlaps the gate dielectric. The gate electrode has first segments extending in parallel along a direction. The dielectric structures are disposed over the substrate, overlap the gate dielectric and extend in parallel along the direction. The dielectric structures and the first segments are arranged in an alternating pattern.

A method includes providing a workpiece. The workpiece includes a fin-shaped structure including a fin base and a stack of semiconductor layers over the fin base, a dummy gate structure disposed over the stack of semiconductor layers, and a source/drain feature connected to the channel layers of the stack of semiconductor layers and disposed on a side of the dummy gate structure. The stack of semiconductor layers includes channel layers interleaving with sacrificial layers. The method further includes forming a trench in the dummy gate structure and the fin-shaped structure, depositing a dielectric layer in the trench, depositing a polycrystalline semiconductor material over the dielectric layer, performing a planarization process to the workpiece, and replacing the dielectric layer, the polycrystalline semiconductor material, the dummy gate structure, and the sacrificial layers with a metal gate structure.

A polishing agent which has excellent storage stability and a high selective ratio between a silicon oxide and a stopper film while maintaining the silicon oxide removal. A polishing agent containing abrasive grains, an anionic polymer, an acidic compound selected from phosphoric acid compounds and organic acid compounds, and water, wherein the anionic polymer is a copolymer containing a hydrophobic monomer and an anionic monomer, an acid value of the anionic polymer is 20 to 400 mgKOH/g; a partition coefficient of the hydrophobic monomer is 0 to 4; the anionic monomer contains at least one type selected from unsaturated monocarboxylic acids and salts thereof, and when an acid compound having a highest molar concentration among the acidic compounds is defined as a first acidic compound, pKa of the first acidic compound and pH of the polishing agent satisfy a following relationship: |pKapH|1.5.

A method for manufacturing raised strip-shaped active areas is disclosed, including: step 1: performing etching on a semiconductor substrate to form patterning raised strip-shaped structures and shallow trenches; step 2: forming a second dielectric layer which fills the shallow trenches and extends to a surface of the first hard mask layer on top surfaces of the raised strip-shaped structures; step 3: performing the first CMP on second dielectric layer, the first CMP stops at a surface of a first hard mask layer; step 4: performing planarization adjustment on a top surface of the second dielectric layer through second wet etching to reduce a height difference of the top surface of the second dielectric layer in different areas; step 5: removing the first hard mask layer; and step 6: performing third dry etching to reduce the top surface of the second dielectric layer to below the top surface of each raised strip-shaped structure.

A device includes a semiconductor fin, a gate structure, gate spacers, and a dielectric feature. The semiconductor fin is over a substrate. The gate structure is over the semiconductor fin and includes a gate dielectric layer over the semiconductor fin and a gate metal covering the gate dielectric layer. The gate spacers are on opposite sides of the gate structure. The dielectric feature is over the substrate. The dielectric feature is in contact with the gate metal, the gate dielectric layer, and the gate spacers, and an interface between the gate metal and the dielectric feature is substantially aligned with an interface between the dielectric feature and one of the gate spacers.