A method includes: forming a barrier layer in a substrate; depositing a first dielectric layer over the substrate; forming a patterned mask layer over the first dielectric layer; patterning the first dielectric layer into a first sublayer of a gate dielectric layer; converting at least part of the patterned mask layer into a second sublayer of the gate dielectric layer; depositing a second dielectric layer adjacent to the first and second sublayers to serve as a third sublayer of the gate dielectric layer; and depositing a gate electrode over the gate dielectric layer.

Provided is a technique which provides a substrate including a first surface and a second surface with an inhibitor adsorbed to the first surface and the second surface; and removes a part of the inhibitor adsorbed to the first surface and a part of the inhibitor adsorbed to the second surface by exposing the substrate to a processing agent to reduce or disable a film-formation inhibiting effect by the inhibitor remaining on the second surface while maintaining the film-formation inhibiting effect by the inhibitor remaining on the first surface.

A diffusion-couple synthesis method using a graphene synthesis tool(GST) including: providing a substrate-load(SL) which includes first-prepared substrate(fPS) and second-prepared- substrate(sPS), where fPS includes a first-carbon-source(fCS), a first-sacrificial-diffusion layer(fSDL), and a first-device-level(fDL), where a first-dielectric-layer(fDiLy) is disposed atop fDL, where fSDL is disposed directly atop fDiLy, where fCS is disposed directly atop the fSDL, and where the sPS includes a secondCS, a secondSDL, and a secondDL, where secondDL is disposed atop the secondDL, where the secondSDL is disposed atop secondDiLy, where secondCS is disposed atop secondSDL; providing a GST capable of applying pressure and temperature to SL within a process chamber(PC); placing SL within PC; applying the pressure and the temperature to SL, where sPS is inverted and disposed above fPS, where fCS is in direct contact with secondCS; forming graphene at a first interface between the fDiLy and the fSDL and at a second interface between secondDiLy and secondSDL.

Methods of forming silicon nitride on a sidewall of a feature are disclosed. Exemplary methods include providing a substrate comprising a feature comprising a sidewall surface and a surface adjacent the sidewall surface, forming a silicon oxide layer overlying the sidewall surface and the surface adjacent the sidewall surface, using a cyclical deposition process, depositing a silicon nitride layer overlying the silicon oxide layer, and exposing the silicon nitride layer to activated species generated from a hydrogen-containing gas. Exemplary methods can additionally include selectively removing a portion of the silicon nitride layer. Structures formed using the methods and systems for performing the methods are also disclosed.

A capacitor is provided for high temperature systems. The capacitor includes: a substrate formed from silicon carbide material; a dielectric stack layer, including a first layer deposited on the substrate and a second layer deposited on the first layer; a Schottky contact layer deposited on the second layer; and an Ohmic contact layer deposited on the substrate. The first layer is formed with aluminum nitride (AlN) epitaxially, and the second layer is formed with aluminum oxide (Al.sub.2O.sub.3). AlN and Al.sub.2O.sub.3 are ultrawide band gap materials, and as a result, they can be use as the dielectric in the capacitor, allowing the capacitance changes to be less than 10% between 250 C. and 600 C., which is very effective for the high temperature systems.

Memory devices and methods of forming memory devices are described. The memory devices comprise a silicon nitride hard mask layer on a ruthenium layer. Forming the silicon nitride hard mask layer on the ruthenium comprises pre-treating the ruthenium layer with a plasma to form an interface layer on the ruthenium layer; and forming a silicon nitride layer on the interface layer by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). Pre-treating the ruthenium layer, in some embodiments, results in the interface layer having a reduced roughness and the memory device having a reduced resistivity compared to a memory device that does not include the interface layer.

A semiconductor structure and a method of forming is provided. The semiconductor structure includes nanostructures separated from one another and stacked over a substrate, a gate stack wrapping around the nanostructures, and a dielectric fin structure laterally spaced apart from the nanostructures by the gate stack. The dielectric fin structure include a lining layer and a fill layer nested within the lining layer. The lining layer is made of a carbon-containing dielectric material, and a carbon concentration of the lining layer varies in a direction from the gate stack to the lining layer.

The present disclosure relates to methods and apparatuses for selective deposition on a surface. In particular, a silicon-containing inhibitor can be used to selectively bind to a first region, thus inhibiting deposition of a material on that first region.

The present disclosure provides a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device. The method includes: forming a transistor region in a substrate; forming a gate dielectric layer over the transistor region; forming a diffusion-blocking layer over the gate dielectric layer; forming a first portion of a work function layer over the diffusion-blocking layer; forming a second portion of the work function layer over the first portion of the work function layer; forming a plurality of barrier elements on or under a top surface of the second portion of the work function layer; and forming a gate electrode over the work function layer, wherein the plurality of barrier elements block oxygen from diffusing into the work function layer during the formation of the gate electrode.

A semiconductor structure includes: a semiconductor substrate; a gate dielectric layer over the semiconductor substrate; and a gate electrode over the gate dielectric layer. The gate dielectric layer includes a first portion and a second portion thinner than the first portion, wherein the gate electrode is over the first portion and the second portion, and the first portion includes a third portion including nitrogen and enclosed by the first portion.