The present invention provides a unit that can sufficiently remove a residue containing inorganic oxide abrasive grains present on the surface of a polished object to be polished containing silicon oxide. One aspect of the present invention relates to a surface treatment method for reducing a residue containing inorganic oxide abrasive grains on a surface of a polished object to be polished containing silicon oxide using a composition for surface treatment, wherein the composition for surface treatment contains a zeta potential adjusting agent having an sp value of more than 9 and 11 or less and having a negatively charged functional group and a dispersing medium, and the surface treatment method includes negatively controlling a zeta potential of the silicon oxide and controlling a zeta potential of the inorganic oxide abrasive grains to −30 mV or less using the surface treatment composition.

A power device includes: a semiconductor layer, a well region, a body region, a gate, a source, a drain, a field oxide region, and a self-aligned drift region. The field oxide region is formed on an upper surface of the semiconductor layer, wherein the field oxide region is located between the gate and the drain. The field oxide region is formed by steps including a chemical mechanical polish (CMP) process step. The self-aligned drift region is formed in the semiconductor layer, wherein the self-aligned drift region is entirely located vertically below and in contact with the field oxide region.

A polishing liquid comprises: abrasive grains; a compound having an aromatic heterocycle; an additive (excluding the compound having an aromatic heterocycle); and water, wherein: the abrasive grains include a hydroxide of a tetravalent metal element; the aromatic heterocycle has an endocyclic nitrogen atom not bound to a hydrogen atom; and a charge of the endocyclic nitrogen atom obtained by using the Merz-Kollman method is −0.45 or less.

The invention provides a fin structure for a fin field effect transistor, including a substrate. The substrate includes a plurality of silicon fins, wherein a top of each one of the silicon fins is a round-like shape in a cross-section view. An isolation layer is disposed on the substrate between the silicon fins at a lower portion of the silicon fins while an upper portion of the silicon fins is exposed. A stress buffer layer is disposed on a sidewall of the silicon fins between the isolation layer and the lower portion of the silicon fins. The stress buffer layer includes a nitride portion.

A semiconductor device structure and a manufacturing method thereof are provided. The semiconductor device structure includes a semiconductor substrate having an active component region and a non-active component region, a first dielectric layer, a second dielectric layer, high resistivity metal segments, dummy stacked structures and a metal connection structure. The high resistivity metal segments are formed in the second dielectric layer and located in the non-active component region. The dummy stacked structures are located in the non-active component region, and at least one dummy stacked structure penetrates through the first dielectric layer and the second dielectric layer and is located between two adjacent high resistivity metal segments. The metal connection structure is disposed on the second dielectric layer, and the high resistivity metal segments are electrically connected to one another through the metal connection structure.

An etching method is provided. In the etching method, a protective film-forming gas including an amine gas is supplied to a substrate having a surface on which a first film and a second film are formed, the first film and the second film having respective properties of being etched by an etching gas, and a protective film is formed to cover the first film such that the first film is selectively protected between the first film and the second film when the etching gas is supplied. Further, the second film is selectively etched by supplying the etching gas to the substrate after the protective film is formed.

A method for smoothing a surface of a semiconductor portion is disclosed. In the method, an intentional oxide layer is formed on the surface of the semiconductor portion, a treated layer is formed in the semiconductor portion and inwardly of the intentional oxide layer, and then, the intentional oxide layer and the treated layer are removed to obtain a smoothed surface. The method may also be used for widening a recess in a manufacturing process for a semiconductor structure.

Localized stresses can be modulated in a film deposited on a bowed semiconductor substrate by selectively and locally curing the film by ultraviolet (UV) radiation. A bowed semiconductor substrate can be asymmetrically bowed. A UV-curable film is deposited on the front side or the backside of the bowed semiconductor substrate. A mask is provided between the UV-curable film and a UV source, where openings in the mask are patterned to selectively define exposed regions and non-exposed regions of the UV-curable film. Exposed regions of the UV-curable film modulate localized stresses to mitigate bowing in the bowed semiconductor substrate.

A semiconductor processing tool performs passivation layer deposition and removal in situ. A transport mechanism included in the semiconductor processing tool transfers a semiconductor structure through different deposition chambers (e.g., without breaking or removing a vacuum environment). Accordingly, the semiconductor processing tool deposits a target layer that is thinner on, or even absent from, a metal layer, such that contact resistance is reduced between a conductive structure formed over the target layer and the metal layer. As a result, electrical performance of a device including the conductive structure is improved. Moreover, because the process is performed in situ (e.g., without breaking or removing the vacuum) in the semiconductor processing tool, production time and risk of impurities in the conductive structure are reduced. As a result, throughput is increased, and chances of spoiled wafers are decreased.

A method of forming a semiconductor device includes: forming a dummy gate structure over a fin structure that protrudes above a substrate, where the fin structure includes a fin and a layer stack over the fin, where the layer stack comprises alternating layers of a first semiconductor material and a second semiconductor material; forming openings in the fin structure on opposing sides of the dummy gate structure, where the openings exposes first portions of the first semiconductor material and second portions of the second semiconductor material; recessing the exposed first portions of the first semiconductor material to form sidewall recesses in the first semiconductor material; lining the sidewall recesses with a first dielectric material; depositing a second dielectric material in the sidewall recesses on the first dielectric material; after depositing the second dielectric material, annealing the second dielectric material; and after the annealing, forming source/drain regions in the openings.