Various embodiments of the present application are directed to an IC, and associated forming methods. In some embodiments, the IC comprises a memory region and a logic region integrated in a substrate. A memory cell structure is disposed on the memory region. A logic device is disposed on the logic region having a logic gate electrode separated from the substrate by a logic gate dielectric. A sidewall spacer is disposed along a sidewall surface of the logic gate electrode. A contact etch stop layer (CESL) is disposed along an upper surface of the substrate, extending upwardly along and in direct contact with sidewall surfaces of the pair of select gate electrodes within the memory region, and extending upwardly along the sidewall spacer within the logic region.

A method of forming semiconductor device is disclosed. A substrate having a logic circuit region and a memory cell region is provided. A first transistor with a first gate is formed in the logic circuit region and a second transistor with a second gate is formed in the memory cell region. A stressor layer is deposited to cover the first transistor in the logic circuit region and the second transistor in the memory cell region. The first transistor and the second transistor are subjected to an annealing process under the influence of the stressor layer to recrystallize the first gate and the second gate.

The present invention relates generally to semiconductors, and more particularly, to a structure and method of minimizing shorting between epitaxial regions in small pitch fin field effect transistors (FinFETs). In an embodiment, a dielectric region may be formed in a middle portion of a gate structure. The gate structure be formed using a gate replacement process, and may cover a middle portion of a first fin group, a middle portion of a second fin group and an intermediate region of the substrate between the first fin group and the second fin group. The dielectric region may be surrounded by the gate structure in the intermediate region. The gate structure and the dielectric region may physically separate epitaxial regions formed on the first fin group and the second fin group from one another.

A method for selective etching Si in the presence of silicon nitride and an etching composition with high Si/Si3N4 etching selectivity are disclosed. Particularly, the method for selective etching Si in the presence of silicon nitride is to apply the etching composition with high Si/Si3N4 etching selectivity in the etching process, and the etching composition with high Si/Si3N4 etching selectivity comprises about 0.5 wt. % to about 10 wt. % of at least one quaternary ammonium compound, about 5 wt. % to about 55 wt. % of at least one primary amine, about 15 wt. % to about 80 wt. % of at least one polyol, and about 10 wt. % to about 35 wt. % water based on total weight of the etching composition.

A gate electrode is formed in a trench reaching a drain region so as to leave a concave portion on the top of the trench. A first insulating film is formed, which fills the concave portion and of which the thickness increases as the distance from an end of the trench increases on the substrate surface on both sides of the trench. First and second source regions are formed in a self-alignment manner by introduction of impurities through the first insulating film.

Some embodiments include a string of charge storage devices formed along a vertical channel of semiconductor material; a gate region of a drain select gate (SGD) transistor, the gate region at least partially surrounding the vertical channel; a dielectric barrier formed in the gate region; a first isolation layer formed above the gate region and the dielectric barrier; a drain region of the SGD transistor formed above the vertical channel; and a second isolation layer formed above the first isolation layer and the drain region, wherein the second isolation layer includes a conductive contact in electrical contact with the drain region of the SGD transistor. Additional apparatus and methods are disclosed.

The present disclosure provides a semiconductor device structure including a non-volatile memory (NVM) device structure in and above a first region of a semiconductor substrate and a logic device formed in and above a second region of the semiconductor substrate different from the first region. The NVM device structure includes a floating-gate, a first select gate and at least one control gate. The logic device includes a logic gate disposed on the second region and source/drain regions provided in the second region adjacent to the logic gate. The control gate extends over the floating-gate and the first select gate is laterally separated from the floating-gate by an insulating material layer portion. Upon forming the semiconductor device structure, the floating gate is formed before forming the control gate and the logic device.

The present disclosure provides a method of fabricating a semiconductor device. The method includes: providing a semiconductor substrate comprising a memory region and a logic region; forming a memory gate in or on the memory region; forming a plurality of first poly-silicon gates on the memory region and surrounding the memory gate; and forming a plurality of second poly-silicon gates on the logic region simultaneously with the formation of the first poly-silicon gates.

The present disclosure provides a semiconductor device and a manufacturing method therefor. The device may include: a semiconductor substrate; a fin projecting from the semiconductor substrate, where trenches are formed on sides of the fin; a first insulator layer partially filling the trenches, where the fin protrudes from the first insulator layer; a second insulator layer covering the fin; a plurality of pseudo gate structures on the second insulator layer, where each pseudo gate structure wraps a part of the fin, where each pseudo gate structure includes a pseudo gate located on the second insulator layer, the plurality of pseudo gate structures includes at least a first pseudo gate structure and a second pseudo gate structure that are spaced from each other, the second pseudo gate structure is located at an edge corner of the fin, and a part of the second pseudo gate structure is on the first insulator layer; spacers, on the first insulator layer and the second insulator layer, at two sides of each of the plurality of pseudo gate structures; and a source or a drain located among the plurality of pseudo gate structures. The present invention can improve reliability of the device.

A semiconductor device includes a substrate. The semiconductor device further includes a first polysilicon structure over the substrate, wherein the first polysilicon structure has a first grain size. The semiconductor device further includes a first barrier layer over the first polysilicon structure, wherein the first barrier layer has a non-uniform thickness. The semiconductor device further includes a second polysilicon structure over the first barrier layer, wherein the second polysilicon structure has a second grain size smaller than the first grain size.