A planarization method includes the following steps. A silicon layer is deposited on a substrate, and a top surface of the silicon layer includes a lower portion and a bump portion protruding upwards from the lower portion. An ion bombardment etching process is performed to the silicon layer for reducing a surface step height of the silicon layer. The top surface of the silicon layer is etched by the ion bombardment etching process to become a post-etching top surface, and a distance between a topmost portion of the post-etching top surface and a bottommost portion of the post-etching top surface in a vertical direction is less than a distance between a topmost portion of the bump portion and the lower portion in the vertical direction before the ion bombardment etching process. Subsequently, a chemical mechanical polishing process is performed to the post-etching top surface of the silicon layer.

An upper surface of a plug (PL1) is formed so as to be higher than an upper surface of an interlayer insulating film (PIL) by forming the interlayer insulating film (PIL) on a semiconductor substrate (1S), completing a CMP method for forming the plug (PL1) inside the interlayer insulating film (PIL), and then, making the upper surface of the interlayer insulating film (PIL) to recede. In this manner, reliability of connection between the plug (PL1) and a wiring (W1) in a vertical direction can be ensured. Also, the wiring (W1) can be formed so as not to be embedded inside the interlayer insulating film (PIL), or a formed amount by the embedding can be reduced.

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 method of manufacturing a three-dimensional system-on-chip, comprising providing a memory wafer structure with a first redistribution layer; disposing a first conductive structure and a core die structure and an input/output die structure with a second conductive structure on the first redistribution layer, the input/output die structure being disposed around the core die structure; forming a dielectric layer covering the core die structure, the input/output die structure, and the first conductive structure; removing a part of the dielectric layer and thinning the core die structure and a plurality of input/output die structures to expose the first and second conductive structures; forming a third redistribution layer on the dielectric layer, the third redistribution layer being electrically connected to the first and second conductive structures; forming a plurality of solder balls on the third redistribution layer; performing die saw. A three-dimensional system-on-chip is further provided.

The present description concerns a method of manufacturing a first wafer, intended to be assembled to a second wafer by molecular bonding, including the successive steps of: forming a stack of layers at the surface of a substrate; and successive chemical etchings of the edges of said layers from the layer of the stack most distant from the substrate, across a smaller and smaller width.

A semiconductor structure includes a source/drain feature, a gate structure disposed adjacent to the source/drain feature, a source/drain contact disposed over and electrically connected to the source/drain feature, an interlayer dielectric (ILD) layer over the source/drain feature and adjacent to the source/drain contact and the gate structure, and an air gap surrounding the source/drain contact and separating the source/drain contact from the ILD layer and the gate structure in a top view.

A method and structure for forming a via-first metal gate contact includes depositing a first dielectric layer over a substrate having a gate structure with a metal gate layer. An opening is formed within the first dielectric layer to expose a portion of the substrate, and a first metal layer is deposited within the opening. A second dielectric layer is deposited over the first dielectric layer and over the first metal layer. The first and second dielectric layers are etched to form a gate via opening. The gate via opening exposes the metal gate layer. A portion of the second dielectric layer is removed to form a contact opening that exposes the first metal layer. The gate via and contact openings merge to form a composite opening. A second metal layer is deposited within the composite opening, thus connecting the metal gate layer to the first metal layer.