A semiconductor device with favorable electrical characteristics is provided. A semiconductor device with stable electrical characteristics is provided. A highly reliable semiconductor device is provided. A semiconductor layer is formed, a gate insulating layer is formed over the semiconductor layer, a metal oxide layer is formed over the gate insulating layer, and a gate electrode which overlaps with part of the semiconductor layer is formed over the metal oxide layer. Then, a first element is supplied through the metal oxide layer and the gate insulating layer to a region of the semiconductor layer that does not overlap with the gate electrode. Examples of the first element include phosphorus, boron, magnesium, aluminum, and silicon. The metal oxide layer may be processed after the first element is supplied to the semiconductor layer.

Methods for processing a semiconductor substrate are proposed. An example of a method includes forming cavities in the semiconductor substrate by implanting ions through a first surface of the semiconductor substrate. The cavities define a separation layer in the semiconductor substrate. A semiconductor layer is formed on the first surface of the semiconductor substrate. Semiconductor device elements are formed in the semiconductor layer. The semiconductor substrate is separated along the separation layer into a first substrate part including the semiconductor layer and a second substrate part.

A method includes depositing an interlayer dielectric (ILD) over a source/drain region, implanting impurities into a portion of the ILD, recessing the portion of the ILD to form a trench, forming spacers on sidewalls of the trench, the spacers including a spacer material, forming a source/drain contact in the trench and removing the spacers and the portion of the ILD with an etching process to form an air-gap, the air-gap disposed under and along sidewalls of the source/drain contact, where the etching process selectively etches the spacer material and the impurity.

An etching method includes a step of selectively forming deposit on a top surface of a mask disposed on a film of a substrate, a step of etching the film after the step of forming the deposit, a step of forming a layer of chemical species included in plasma of a processing gas, on the substrate, and a step of supplying ions from plasma of an inert gas to the substrate so that the chemical species react with the film.

A semiconductor device including semiconductor material having a bend and a trench feature formed at the bend, and a gate structure at least partially disposed in the trench feature. A method of fabricating a semiconductor structure including forming a semiconductor material with a trench feature over a layer, forming a gate structure at least partially in the trench feature, and bending the semiconductor material such that stress is induced in the semiconductor material in an inversion channel region of the gate structure.

A representative fin field effect transistor (FinFET) includes a substrate having a major surface; a fin structure protruding from the major surface having a lower portion comprising a first semiconductor material having a first lattice constant; an upper portion comprising the first semiconductor material. A bottom portion of the upper portion comprises a dopant with a first peak concentration. A middle portion is disposed between the lower portion and upper portion, where the middle portion comprises a second semiconductor material having a second lattice constant different from the first lattice constant. An isolation structure surrounds the fin structure, where a portion of the isolation structure adjacent to the bottom portion of the upper portion comprises the dopant with a second peak concentration equal to or greater than the first peak concentration.

A method for forming spacers of a gate of a field effect transistor is provided, the gate including sides and a top and being located above a layer of a semiconductor material, the method including a step of forming a dielectric layer that covers the gate; after the step of forming the dielectric layer, at least one step of modifying the dielectric layer by ion implantation while retaining non-modified portions of the dielectric layer covering sides of the gate and being at least non-modified over their entire thickness; the ions having a hydrogen base and/or a helium base; at least one step of removing the modified dielectric layer using a selective etching of the dielectric layer, wherein the removing includes a wet etching with a base of a solution including hydrofluoric acid diluted to x % by weight, with x≦0.2, and having a pH less than or equal to 1.5.

The present disclosure provides methods for forming conductive features in a dielectric layer without using adhesion layers or barrier layers and devices formed thereby. In some embodiments, a structure comprising a dielectric layer over a substrate, and a conductive feature disposed through the dielectric layer. The dielectric layer has a lower surface near the substrate and a top surface distal from the substrate. The conductive feature is in direct contact with the dielectric layer, and the dielectric layer comprises an implant species. A concentration of the implant species in the dielectric layer has a peak concentration proximate the top surface of the dielectric layer, and the concentration of the implant species decreases from the peak concentration in a direction towards the lower surface of the dielectric layer.

A semiconductor fabrication apparatus includes a source chamber being operable to generate charged particles; and a processing chamber integrated with the source chamber and configured to receive the charged particles from the source chamber. The processing chamber includes a wafer stage being operable to secure and move a wafer, and a laser-charged particles interaction module that further includes a laser source to generate a first laser beam; a beam splitter configured to split the first laser beam into a second laser beam and a third laser beam; and a mirror configured to reflect the third laser beam such that the third laser beam is redirected to intersect with the second laser beam to form a laser interference pattern at a path of the charged particles, and wherein the laser interference pattern modulates the charged particles by in a micron-zone mode for processing the wafer using the modulated charged particles.

A semiconductor device according to the present disclosure includes a channel portion, a gate electrode disposed opposite the channel portion via a gate insulating film, and source/drain regions disposed at both edges of the channel portion. The source/drain regions include semiconductor layers that have a first conductivity type and that are formed inside recessed portions disposed on a base body. Impurity layers having a second conductivity type different from the first conductivity type are formed between the base body and bottom portions of the semiconductor layers.