Energy bands of a thin film containing molecular clusters are tuned by controlling the size and the charge of the clusters during thin film deposition. Using atomic layer deposition, an ionic cluster film is formed in the gate region of a nanometer-scale transistor to adjust the threshold voltage, and a neutral cluster film is formed in the source and drain regions to adjust contact resistance. A work function semiconductor material such as a silver bromide or a lanthanum oxide is deposited so as to include clusters of different sizes such as dimers, trimers, and tetramers, formed from isolated monomers. A type of Atomic Layer Deposition system is used to deposit on semiconductor wafers molecular clusters to form thin film junctions having selected energy gaps. A beam of ions contains different ionic clusters which are then selected for deposition by passing the beam through a filter in which different apertures select clusters based on size and orientation.

Interconnect structures and methods and apparatuses for forming the same are disclosed. In an embodiment, a method includes supplying a process gas to a process chamber; igniting the process gas into a plasma in the process chamber; reducing a pressure of the process chamber to less than 0.3 mTorr; and after reducing the pressure of the process chamber, depositing a conductive layer on a substrate in the process chamber.

A noble metal liner and a metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitor (MIMCAP) are described along with the methods of manufacture or fabrication. The MIM capacitor includes a liner formed of a thin layer or film of a noble metal, which is only a few nanometers thick, e.g., a thickness in the range of about 0.5 nm to about 5 nm or more. In a finished device such as a MIM capacitor, the noble metal liner is sandwiched between a thicker electrode and the insulator, e.g., a layer or thin film of high or ultra high-k material, thereby providing a cap for the electrode to limit leakage currents in the device.

Provided is a manufacturing method of a semiconductor device including a semiconductor substrate, including: forming an interlayer dielectric film above the semiconductor substrate; forming contact holes exposed from a part of an upper surface of the semiconductor substrate on the interlayer dielectric film; and forming an metal electrode including an element of aluminum by DC sputtering above the interlayer dielectric film and inside the contact holes, wherein in at least a part of a process of forming the metal electrode in forming the electrode, a heating temperature that is a temperature for heating the semiconductor substrate is 400° C. or higher, and a DC sputtering power is 5 kW or lower.

A semiconductor structure includes a metal gate structure disposed over a semiconductor substrate, an interlayer dielectric (ILD) layer disposed over the metal gate structure, and a gate contact disposed in the ILD layer and over the metal gate structure, where a bottom surface of the gate contact is defined by a barrier layer disposed over the metal gate structure, where sidewall surfaces of the gate contact are defined by and directly in contact with the ILD layer, and where the barrier layer is free of nitrogen.

A method and apparatus are for controlling stress variation in a material layer formed via pulsed DC physical vapour deposition. The method includes the steps of providing a chamber having a target from which the material layer is formed and a substrate upon which the material layer is formable, and subsequently introducing a gas within the chamber. The method further includes generating a plasma within the chamber and applying a first magnetic field proximate the target to substantially localise the plasma adjacent the target. An RF bias is applied to the substrate to attract gas ions from the plasma toward the substrate and a second magnetic field is applied proximate the substrate to steer gas ions from the plasma to selective regions upon the material layer formed on the substrate.

A manufacturing method of a low temperature poly-silicon (LTPS) array substrate is described. The LTPS array substrate includes a metal light-shielding layer, a buffer layer, a polycrystalline silicon layer, a gate insulating and interlayer insulating layer, a gate line layer, and a source and drain electrode layer. The method adopts a one-time chemical vapor deposition process to form a gate insulator and interlayer insulating layer. A gate line trench is formed in the gate insulating layer and the interlayer insulating layer, thereby reducing the thickness of the LTPS array substrate film layer and the process steps.

Interconnect structures and methods and apparatuses for forming the same are disclosed. In an embodiment, a method includes supplying a process gas to a process chamber; igniting the process gas into a plasma in the process chamber; reducing a pressure of the process chamber to less than 0.3 mTorr; and after reducing the pressure of the process chamber, depositing a conductive layer on a substrate in the process chamber.

A plasma vapor deposition (PVD) chamber used for depositing material includes an apparatus for influencing ion trajectories during deposition on a substrate. The apparatus includes at least one annular support assembly configured to be externally attached to and positioned below a substrate support pedestal and a magnetic field generator affixed to the annular support assembly and configured to radiate magnetic fields on a top surface of the substrate. The magnetic field generator may include a plurality of symmetrically spaced discrete permanent magnets or may use one or more electromagnets to generate the magnetic fields.

A semiconductor device that comprises a substrate with a primary surface and a secondary surface opposite to the primary surface. The primary surface provides a semiconductor active device. The semiconductor device includes a base metal layer deposited on the secondary surface and within the substrate via in which a vacancy is formed, and an additional metal layer on the base metal layer, the additional metal layer having different wettability against a solder as compared to the base metal layer whereby the solder is contactable by the base metal layer and repelled by the additional metal layer. The semiconductor device is die-bonded on the assembly substrate by interposing the solder between the secondary surface and the assembly substrate. The base metal layer in a portion that excepts the substrate via and a periphery of the substrate via by partly removing the additional metal layer is in contact with the solder.